It looks just like the UFC policy is to proceed jumping the gun.
The promotion announced two UFC Fight Night most important events with rating implications during Saturday’s broadcast of UFC Houston, where Sean Strickland knocked out Anthony Hernandez within the headliner.
Each come on the Meta Apex this April, with the primary featuring a clash between fellow American Top Team standouts Renato Moicano and Chris Duncan.
But in response to one half of the most important event on April 4, the fight has yet to be officially signed.
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Renato Moicano claims he has not signed agreement for UFC Vegas 115 most important event with Chris Duncan
The promotion has come under criticism for the standard of UFC Fight Night cards early on within the Paramount era, and that trend has continued with the announcement of Moicano vs Duncan.
Since Moicano lost to Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title in early 2025, the Brazilian has fallen to his first losing skid since 2019 after a defeat to Beneil Dariush last June.
He has slipped to No. 10 at 155 kilos, while Duncan is on the up following 4 straight wins but stays unranked within the division.
Whether the matchup is most important event-worthy is up for debate, but fans have had their attention on a special discussion after Moicano’s response to the announcement.
The Brazilian ex-title challenger was watching UFC Houston on a livestream when his return was announced. He appeared in disbelief as he suggested the promotion went public with the fight before he has signed a bout agreement.
“(UFC) f—ing announced the bald man’s fight without me having signed,” Moicano said on stream, referring to himself.
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Sean Brady vs Joaquin Buckley headlines UFC Vegas 116
Dana White and the UFC have long come under fire for prematurely revealing unofficial matchups to the general public, with many accusing them of seeking to pressure fighters into accepting by doing so.
Moicano vs Duncan appears to mark the newest example of that practice, and it stays to be seen whether the identical applies to the most important event at UFC Vegas 116.
After UFC 327 in Miami and UFC Winnipeg, the Octagon might be back on the Meta Apex on April 25, where the most important event incorporates a clash between top 10 welterweights Sean Brady and Joaquin Buckley.
Each fighters need to bounce back from recent setbacks. A number of months before Brady was stopped by Michael Morales at UFC 322 last November, Buckley was beaten by Kamaru Usman within the UFC Atlanta most important event.