UFC 272 has itself a new co-main event, with Renato Moicano being selected as the replacement for Rafael Fiziev in a fight against Rafael dos Anjos in a catchweight bout.
After Rafael Fiziev contracted COVID-19, the UFC was tasked with finding a replacement opponent for former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos on less than one week's notice.
Tony Ferguson claims he was offered to be a replacement but did not provide any additional details on why he was not selected to face dos Anjos.
Also, Islam Makhachev made headlines when he offered to settle unfinished business with dos Anjos by replacing Fiziev in the co-main. dos Anjos welcomed the idea, but ultimately it was Moicano who was selected, as first reported by MMA Fighting on Tuesday.
Renato Moicano has competed in the UFC's lightweight division since 2020. He is 3-1 in the division, most recently submitting Alexander Hernandez at UFC 271 last month. Coincidentally, Moicano's only loss at lightweight was to the aforementioned Rafael Fiziev. Moicano is currently unranked but was once ranked within the top 5 of the featherweight division.
Rafael dos Anjos is a former UFC lightweight champion who last competed in November 2020 in a split-decision victory over Paul Felder. This was dos Anjos' first fight down at 155 since his 2016 loss to Tony Ferguson. And for his efforts, he and Felder took home Fight of the Night. Will dos Anjos steal the show again with Moicano as his dancing partner?
Though both fighters are active in the lightweight division, the fight will be contested at 160 lbs in a catchweight bout.
With the new UFC 272 co-main event, the updated lineup is as follows:
Main Card (Pay-Per-View, 8:00 PM ET)
Jorge Masvidal vs. Colby Covington
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Renato Moicano
Edson Barboza vs. Bryce Mitchell
Kevin Holland vs. Alex Oliveira
Sergey Spivak vs. Greg Hardy
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+, 6:00 PM ET)
Jamie Mullarkey vs. Jalin Turner
Yan Xiaonan vs. Marina Rodriguez
Nicolae Negumereanu vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
Mariya Agapova vs. Maryna Moroz
Early Preliminary Card (ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass, 4:00 PM ET)
Brian Kelleher vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
Tim Elliott vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
Erick Gonzalez vs. Devonte Smith
Dustin Jacoby vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Who do you think will win at UFC 272: Rafael dos Anjos or Renato Moicano?