Renato Moicano volunteers to be Ilia Topuria's UFC return tune-up fight

Ilia Topuria is approaching his UFC return.

A devastating defeat last time out, Topuria sustained a lot of damage, forcing him to take a much-needed rest away from the octagon. After spending some time to recover, the former two-division UFC champion is preparing his comeback , with his sights set on reclaiming the gold. But is an immediate rematch against Justin Gaethje the right move?

Ilia Topuria could find himself fighting for the lightweight title upon his return. While passing on a title opportunity may not be the best idea, many believe he needs to earn his way back. Shaking off any ring rust and getting familiar with real-time combat again could be the smart move for Topuria, and Renato Moicano wants to be the sacrificial lamb .

"Ilia Topuria. That's a name. He needs an easy fight, right? That's the truth. We know how the UFC operates," Moicano said. "Either they sacrifice him and Paddy Pimblett [against each other], or they'll give him a fight to keep rolling. So the guy can get his confidence back. And I think his confidence is broken."

"Look at how life works, man. A year ago- even less. Six months ago, I was saying this guy could possibly be one of the greatest of all time, but you're only as good as your last fight. And he can come back. He can come back and knock out the next guy. And it would be a f***ing tough fight because I think this guy is p*ssed off, right?"

"I think that fight would make sense. I don't know if the UFC will make it happen. I don't even know if that's the fight I'll ask for."

"He seems like an intelligent guy who will learn from his mistake. What was his mistake? He thought he could knock out a guy who's difficult to KO. He thought he could knock him out at any moment.