The old guard vs. the new generation matchmaking trend continues at UFC Vegas 115 with Renato Moicano putting his number on the line against the surging Chris Duncan.
Currently on the edge at No. 15 at 155 pounds in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, Moicano has lost two straight fights and finds himself at a crossroads with his 37th birthday just around the corner. He’s found success with his YouTube channel and promoted himself well in recent years, so are in-cage results becoming a secondary concern? Losses to Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev (on zero notice) are nothing to be ashamed of, but what will it mean if he falls short in Saturday’s main event against a far less established name?
Duncan—like Kevin Vallejos, Joe Pyfer, and Lone’er Kavanagh in previous weeks—gets his shot to knock off a respected veteran who was ranked in the top 10 not long ago. If Duncan has been flying under your radar, you’ve been missing out. The hard-hitting Scotsman has won his past four fights, including a fast and furious battle with Terrance McKinney, and a back-and-forth scrap against Mateusz Rebecki. It’s time for a step up and Moicano is just the man to help us determine if Duncan is on his way to becoming a legitimate contender.
The stakes are even higher in the co-main, which sees recent strawweight title challenger Virna Jandiroba taking on Tabatha Ricci. Jandiroba looks to bounce back after a disappointing loss to Mackenzie Dern, while Ricci can vault into the top 5—and onto the Pound-for-Pound chart—with a win Saturday.
Where: Meta Apex in Las Vegas
When: Saturday, April 4. The seven-fight early preliminary card begins at 5 p.m. ET, followed by a six-fight main card at 8 p.m. ET. The entire event streams live on Paramount+.
(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings)
Renato Moicano (15) vs. Chris Duncan
Renato Moicano still has the skills, but his advancing age and a seeming shift in priorities has me leaning towards Chris Duncan.
One can’t blame Moicano for coming off as a podcaster with a UFC side gig at this point. He’s paid his dues, fighting for almost 16 years, with his UFC run going back to 2014. He’s fought elite talent, been ranked in two divisions, and stepped up to the plate for the matchmakers on more than one occasion. There’s not much left for Moicano to do in this business other than cash a few more fight checks, but he seems to be doing just fine with his other business pursuits that don’t involve getting kicked in the head.
Then there’s the fact that Duncan is one of the most dangerous up-and-coming talents in the lightweight division. Even at 32, Duncan feels fresh, and he’s endeared himself to fans one brutal scrap at a time, showing a willingness to brawl but also to go for the finish via submission when the situation calls for it. His grappling isn’t quite at Moicano’s level, but he can survive down there and work the fight back to the feet where he is favored.
I’m not confident Moicano can avoid Duncan’s best strikes for five rounds, nor do I see him completely neutralizing Duncan with wrestling. If Moicano has lost more than a step, this will be a rough night for him.
Virna Jandiroba (3, P4P-13) vs. Tabatha Ricci (9)
Virna Jandiroba is one of my favorite grapplers to watch and Tabatha Ricci has a strong ground game as well, so this should be a treat anytime it goes to the mat. On the feet, not so much, but if it does end up there, Ricci won’t complain.
My main worry for Jandiroba, as was made abundantly clear in the Mackenzie Dern loss, is that she can just be physically overmatched. To put it nicely, Jandiroba isn’t the most, uh, explosive athlete at 115 pounds, and that matters in a close fight. Someone like Dern or Ricci can power their way through disadvantageous positions, something that just isn’t an option for Jandiroba. If her technique falters, it’s difficult for her to recover.
So yes, as reductive as it sounds, Jandiroba—who has been fighting for 13 years and turns 38 in May—just doesn’t have enough juice to make it over the hump against younger fighters anymore. I would love to be wrong.
Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev vs. Brendson Ribeiro
Forward, forward, forward. That’s the one thought that’s in Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev’s head when he enters the cage and, you know what, it’s going pretty well!
At 25, Yakhyaev is a baby in the light heavyweight division (I didn’t even know it was legal to be that young and be on the UFC’s 205-pound roster) and he fights like it. He closes the distance with 100 percent confidence, attacks with surprising patience and accuracy, and leaves his opponents shellshocked by the time it’s all over. He’s one of the biggest favorites in UFC history (-1800 on FanDuel!!!) and for good reason.
Let’s just say defense isn’t Brendson Ribeiro’s specialty. His past two losses have come in the opening round, both in situations meant to showcase his opponents, and this is no different.
Sorry Brendson, it’s time to be on the wrong end of another highlight reel.
Ethyn Ewing vs. Rafael Estevam
It’s cliché to describe Ethyn Ewing as “gritty,” but how else to describe his winning performance against Malcolm Wellmaker? If there was a skill deficit in this fight, you could have fooled me, because Ewing took the best Wellmaker had to offer and answered with relentless pressure to outlast his heavily favored opponent. Ewing might have a clear ceiling, but don’t tell him that.
This is a logical matchup for both fighters, though it’s a shame Rafael Estevam missed weight (for a third time). Estevam balances range striking with in-close wrestling well and there’s the makings of a fun fight here. Just get that weight cut under control, man!
This is a toss-up, but I’ll go Ewing if only because I expect this to go the distance and he’ll push the pace late as long as he can stay off his back. Ewing on points.
Tommy McMillen vs. Manolo Zecchini
We all know what’s happening here.
Tommy McMillen is a raw prospect with the kind of style the UFC likes to see and the Sean O’Malley tutelage is evident. He doesn’t have the evasiveness of “Suga,” but he’s an enthusiastic striker who throws from all kinds of wonky angles. Sprinkle in respectable takedown defense, and you’ve got yourself a name the matchmakers can get behind.
That’s probably why they’re throwing him Manolo Zecchini, who hasn’t fought since losing his lone UFC fight back in September 2023. Zecchini wasn’t exactly a world-beater before getting the UFC call, so it’s fair to say they’ve kept him on the roster for situations like this.
McMillen knows his way around a choke so the question is do we get a flashy striking finish or a classic club-and-sub? Let’s say McMillen gets the knockout he’ll be hunting for from the opening second.
Jose Delano vs. Robert Ruchala
The zippy and springy Jose Delano is an absolute pest in the cage, rarely staying in one place for more than a few seconds before dodging in to sting his foes. It’s a fun style to watch and while it limits his finishing ability, if Delano can catch Robert Ruchala slipping, he could put him away.
That said, Ruchala isn’t afraid to stand and trade, and while he’s more of an accumulation-of-strikes guy as opposed to a one-shot assassin, he can exploit defensive errors. Delano’s constant movement doesn’t always generate misses, so Ruchala can rack up damage if he keeps his cool.
I’m intrigued by Delano’s potential and I believe his style can frustrate higher levels of competition, so I favor him to make a statement against Ruchala and quickly rise up the ranks. It’s early in his UFC career, but this main card opportunity will tell us a lot about how far Delano can go.
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