Renato Moicano nickname origin: Why is the Brazilian lightweight now not known by his surname Carneiro?

Renato Moicano has surged in popularity and some fans were surprised to find out that he actually goes by his nickname rather than his actual surname, Carneiro, and explained the origin of how that came to be.

The use of a nickname rather than a surname has been common among athletes, particularly Brazilian soccer players like Ronaldinho, Kaka, and Cafu. It's not uncommon for MMA fighters to do so as there have been notable fighters including Kimbo Slice, CM Punk, and Cris Cyborg who weren't referred to by their surname even during their UFC tenures.

The veteran lightweight is no different and shared the reasoning behind that during a past appearance on The MMA Hour. Moicano revealed that his nickname means mohawk and stems from a bet he made with his father when he was a child. He explained the origin and meaning behind the nickname and mentioned that the bet resulted in the name sticking with him long after. He said:

"My father made a bet with me. He say, 'You don't have the balls to do the mohawk and go to the class', and I say, 'I do.' And he gave me a couple money and I did. When I went to the school, everybody started calling me Moicano...My father's crazy, bro. If you know my father, my father's fu**ing crazy."

The Brazilian has also been referred to by his nickname, 'Money Moicano', which has become popular among fans after his memorable post-fight interview with Joe Rogan at UFC 281. The event was also the last time he competed in the octagon as he was forced to withdraw from his bout against Arman Tsarukyan last April.

The 34-year-old returns to the octagon tomorrow (February 3) night, when he takes on Drew Dober at UFC Vegas 85. It will be interesting to see whether Moicano can continue his surge in popularity as another impressive win can possibly lead to a bout against a top-10 ranked lightweight.

Check out the full video below: