Renato Moicano taps former Bellator champ at BJJ Stars 19

Renato Moicano added to his submission grappling record with a quick victory at BJJ Stars 19 in São Paulo, tapping out former Bellator champion Patricky Freire in under four minutes. Fighting in a pure grappling match, Moicano countered a Freire takedown attempt, advanced to mount position, and secured an arm-triangle choke to force the submission.

The win improved Moicano's submission grappling record to 3-1, following previous victories over UFC fighter Chase Hooper in 2021 and Cristian Guzman in 2024, offset by a loss to Russia's Yusuf Raisov. For Freire, the loss marked his second submission defeat in a grappling match against a UFC athlete, having previously tapped to Arman Tsarukyan. The former Bellator titleholder remains mired in a five-bout MMA losing streak.

Moicano's success on the grappling stage comes as he prepares for his return to the UFC at event 331 on September 18 in Los Angeles, where he is reportedly scheduled to face Brian Ortega. The UFC lightweight (21-7-1) last competed in an MMA bout at UFC 331, finishing Chris Duncan in the second round—a rebound victory following consecutive defeats to Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush.