UFC superstar Conor McGregor’s imminent return since last year has evoked excitement among fans and a certain disinterest amongst select fighters skeptical about his drive to fight.

No.13 ranked lightweight Renato Moicano is one such fighter who dismissed McGregor in an interview with InsideFighting in January last year. He refused to lend credence to reports of McGregor returning to welterweight and proclaimed that the former double champion’s time was over.

However, Moicano did maintain that he would take on ‘The Notorious’ and get the better of him in a fight at lightweight.

“Yeah, but you know what? Conor McGregor is done,” Moicano said. “His time is done, you know. He’s not gonna be in the lightweight and he’s not in the welterweights, you’re just kidding me if you think he has something to with welterweight.So, I feel his time is over you know. And of course, if he comes to lightweight again, I can beat his ass. But that really doesn’t matter, you know. Because like I said before, I have to fight my contract and I have to get the double cheque first. That’s the most important thing, the show money and the bonus.”

McGregor did not return last year despite a planned bout against Michael Chandler in the finale of The Ultimate Fighter.

Check out Renato Moicano’s comments on Conor McGregor below (0:51):

Moicano is set to return to action for the first time since 2022 after an injury forced him out of a fight against Arman Tsarukyan in April 2023. He will take on No.15-ranked Drew Dober in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov.