Chael Sonnen pitches Justin Gaethje vs. Renato Moicano, calls matchup 'glaringly obvious'

Chael Sonnen argues that Justin Gaethje is exactly the type of fight Renato Moicano needs.

Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) battered Benoit Saint Denis en route to a second-round doctor’s stoppage TKO in this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 243 headliner in Paris. The outspoken lightweight made the most of his time on the mic, and Sonnen would like to see him get a big name to help catapult his stardom to the next level.

“Moicano’s next fight is Justin Gaethje,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “Now, that is exactly what my response would be. For me, that’s like glaringly obvious.”

Moicano called out Paddy Pimblett and Dan Hooker, two fan favorites. But Sonnen thinks a win over former interim champion Gaethje would open all the doors for “Money Moicano.”

Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC), who’s coming off a knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300 in April, isn’t currently booked. Prior to the Holloway loss, Gaethje beat Rafael Fiziev, then knocked out Dustin Poirier.

“If you got over on Dustin Poirier, you could then do anything,” Sonnen said. “Fight for titles, main events, there’d be no argument that you couldn’t fit nicely into. And Justin Gaethje brings those same accolades, but there’s one difference, which is you don’t have to be as careful with the bookings of Gaethje because he is not in a situation where he’s saying my next one is my final one.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.