In January, Moicano stepped in to replace the injured Tsarukyan and lost to Makhachev by submission in the first round.
"I was already cutting weight when they told me I had to fight the champion. But no one equals Islam, he is the best or second-best fighter in the UFC. I consider him number one. For a title fight, the weight had to be perfect, so I was sitting in the bath and crying thinking: 'I will become the champion.' I earned a lot for that fight. I was able to agree on new contract terms, so for the fight with Islam, I received the biggest fee of my career. It was money that changed my life.
No matter how much money they paid me, I was upset and disappointed. I thought it was my moment. It was the perfect ending to my journey. In MMA, everyone has a chance. Imagine if I had knocked out Islam? That would have been powerful. And it could have happened!" Moicano stated in an interview with UFC Brazil.