Thiago Moises has won just about half of his UFC bouts since joining the promotion in 2018. He knows some would call him crazy for saying it, but he’s still confident that one day he will have the lightweight belt wrapped around his waist.
Moises hasn’t had it easy, from debuting on short notice against Beneil Dariush to facing the likes of Islam Makhachev and Benoit Saint-Denis. He has collected big wins as well, defeating King Green, Alexander Hernandez, Michael Johnson and a last-minute replacement Melquizael Costa.
With all that experience under his belt, he looks at former champion Charles Oliveira as reason to believe ahead of Saturday’s UFC Winnipeg clash with Gauge Young.
“Charles is a beast,” Moises told MMA Fighting. “I’m a huge fan of his. I draw a lot of inspiration from him too because he had an inconsistent run in the UFC and then turned things around. I really look up to that and want to make a comeback in my own career as well.”
Oliveira had only 10 wins in his first 19 UFC appearances before kicking off the streak that culminated in him winning the 155-pound belt, and again rebounded from defeats to Makhachev and Ilia Topuria to recently capture the “BMF” belt. Moises has a UFC record of 8-7 going into UFC Winnipeg, and feels it’s his time.
“Now it’s time to get in there and put on a strong performance,” Moises said, “Beat Gauge Young convincingly, keep winning, and I believe I have everything it takes to win the UFC belt. I have experience, I have technique. It’s just about going in with the right mindset.”
“People might say, ‘Man, you’re crazy, you’re coming off a loss to Jared Gordon,’ but I believe in myself, I believe in my potential” he added. “I know I have what it takes to get there.”
Moises planned on booking another fighter sooner after a first-round knockout loss to Gordon in May 2025, but enjoyed the time off to be close to family for the birth of his first daughter and then he made a full-time move to Sao Paulo.
“This was the best training camp I’ve ever had in my life,” Moises said. “I’m very happy here in Brazil, very happy with my team at Fighting Nerds, happy with my daughter and being close to my family. On weekends I go to the countryside of São Paulo, to my parents’ house, and I can switch off and recharge.”
“[My daughter] gives me extra motivation,” he added. “I wouldn’t call it pressure, but more like gratitude, you know? I see it more as gratitude, as an added joy. My coaches and I are on the same page and I had excellent training partners for this fight. And when you add my daughter, that feeling of gratitude from being close to family, everything comes together. When you’re happy in your personal life, close to family, with that support, you train happier, your training improves. it’s all connected.”
Young scored his first octagon victory with a decision over Maheshate in August 2025, improving to 1-1 in the promotion. Moises has more appearances in the UFC than Young has overall bouts in his entire MMA career, but doesn’t see that as a reason to overlook his opponent’s abilities.
“He doesn’t have much experience, but he’s a big challenge for my career,” Moises said. “I’ve already faced top strikers, some of the best in the UFC, so there’s nothing he can bring that I haven’t seen before from opponents or training partners. But he’s very technical and wants to make a name for himself, which makes him dangerous. He’s young, 25 years old, so that youth and hunger are probably his biggest weapons.”
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