Renato Moicano believes Paddy Pimblett presents "tougher" challenge than Dan Hooker

Paddy Pimblett last entered the octagon at UFC 304 in July as he defeated Bobby 'King' Green via first-round submission to enter the lightweight rankings for the first time. 'The Baddy' has expressed interest in facing Renato Moicano, provided he gets past Benoit Saint-Denis this weekend.

The No. 11-ranked lightweight recently praised Pimblett's performance in his last bout and claimed he is a tougher matchup than Dan Hooker. Speaking to Damon Martin of MMA Fighting, Moicano stated:

"I am very impressed. I think, after the Bobby Green fight, I think Paddy Pimblett is a tougher matchup than Dan Hooker. Back in the day, I would be crazy to say that, but right now, we saw what Dan Hooker did to Mateusz Gamrot. He got caught many, many times in the first round and it was a close fight."

Moicano continued:

"I don't think he didn't win, but if you see the way Paddy Pimblett finished Bobby Green - and Bobby Green is not an easy guy to submit - and the way he did it so props to Paddy Pimblett. I was one of the doubters, but he did great. He did a great job and he needs and he deserves some respect. Not much, but some respect."

Check out Renato Moicano's comments on Paddy Pimblett below (11:59):

Pimblett has expressed an interest in facing Moicano when he returns to the octagon. He previously shared that he would want the opportunity for the two to serve as coaches on the next season of 'The Ultimate Fighter'.

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Joe Rogan praises Paddy Pimblett for UFC 304 performance

Joe Rogan is among the most respected voices in mixed martial arts. Speaking to guest Belal Muhammad on episode #162 of JRE MMA Show, he praised Paddy Pimblett for his performance at UFC 304, stating:

"He's just fun. He looks like he's having a good old time when he's out there. And he can back it up. So, that fight was big for him because that fight moves him into elite status. He goes from Jared Gordon and now a couple other fights now, bam, Bobby Green, bam, someone's going to be a big name. Someone next is going to be a big name. So, he's thinking right now about Islam [Makhachev]. He's thinking about those guys at the top of the heap."

Check out the discussion between Joe Rogan and Belal Muhammad below (1:26:39):

Muhammad noted that Pimblett's star power could earn him a title opportunity with just one more ranked win. While both agreed that he should not rush to fight for UFC gold, 'Remember the Name' believes the promotion could push the No.15-ranked lightweight.