Renato Carneiro, who is more popularly known by the moniker “Moicano,” made his way up the featherweight rankings by virtue of his victories over top mixed martial artists like Cub Swanson and Jeremy Stephens, as well as his strong showing against Brian Ortega.
On Feb. 2, he has a golden opportunity to further his résumé when he faces his most high-profile opponent yet in Jose Aldo. A win would not only make him just the third man to beat the former featherweight champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but also get him closer to a date with current titleholder, Max Holloway.
As fans await this monumental featherweight bout, here are some numbers that have defined his career so far.
8: Fights in Brazilian promotion Jungle Fight, where he went undefeated with one draw. After notching his seventh victory for the organization, Carneiro challenged Ismael Bonfim for the interim Jungle Fight featherweight championship, which he won by first-round submission. With that impressive run, he was signed by the UFC.
2: Rounds needed to impress international fans in his Octagon debut. His move to the world’s biggest stage was officially announced on Dec. 12, 2014, and eight days later, he found himself debuting as a late replacement for Rony Mariano Bezerra. “Moicano” choked out Tom Niinimaki at UFC Fight Night 58, which took place in Barueri, Brazil.
70: Significant strikes landed on Stephens, who only landed 56 in return. The bout, which was part of UFC on Fox 24, marked Carneiro’s first on American soil. The Brazilian made the most of it by going three full rounds with the veteran and outstriking him. He also scored two takedowns.
100: Significant strikes landed on Ortega. “Moicano” was ahead of the scorecards and looked poised to take the biggest victory of his career until the American sank a guillotine choke that ended the bout at 3:29 of round 3.
47: Percent striking accuracy inside the Octagon. In all, he has attempted 861 significant strikes and landed 404. He reached the 100-mark against Ortega and Calvin Kattar.
1: Round needed to beat Swanson at UFC 227. After suffering his first setback in the UFC, Carneiro was pitted against a fellow prospect in Kattar. He defeated the American and got a huge step up in competition for his next assignment in Swanson. After four exciting rounds that saw “Moicano” drop Swanson with a stinging jab, the Brazilian managed to take the fight to the ground and sink in a rear-naked choke that stopped the clock at 4:15.
2: Post-fight bonuses. Carneiro has had only five fights in the UFC but has already proven himself as one of the top contenders at featherweight. His scuffles with Ortega and Swanson earned him Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night honors, respectively.
1: Fighter has landed takedowns inside the Octagon, and that’s Zubaira Tukhugov. Carneiro met the Russian at UFC 198. He might have a disadvantage in terms of wrestling but he sure had the upper hand on the feet. Leading 44-29 in significant strikes landed, “Moicano” won the fight via split decision.