Renato Moicano’s APEX Rant: “Nobody Cares” About Vegas 104’s Action-Packed Night

UFC Vegas 104 was a spectacle of stoppages, a testament to the raw talent within the UFC ranks. With nine finishes and only four decisions, the event certainly delivered in terms of action. However, amidst the flurry of knockouts and submissions, UFC lightweight Renato Moicano saw a deeper, more concerning issue: the continued reliance on the UFC APEX as a primary venue.

Moicano, who has experienced the APEX firsthand, having fought there three times, including a pay-per-view during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, believes the venue’s purpose has run its course. “To me, it was a bad UFC [card],” Moicano said of UFC Vegas 104 on a video posted on his YouTube channel. “Everybody’s saying it was an excellent UFC, that there were a lot of knockouts and submission. That’s true, there were plenty of knockouts and submissions … But why do I think the card was so bad? Because the UFC APEX works to hype certain fighters that come from the Contender [Series].”

He argues that the APEX, initially a necessary solution during pandemic restrictions, now serves as a cost-effective, but ultimately detrimental, option for the UFC. “The APEX is this area for the UFC in Las Vegas, next to the UFC PI, so they don’t pay to use the space, so it’s a cheap card for the UFC. There’s no fight week [activities], and that’s why I think it’s so bad when they’re at the UFC APEX. There’s no dynamic like other Fight Nights [on the road]. It’s good [when it’s elsewhere] because all the athletes go to a different city and they call TV stations, radio people, and you do a Fight Night with media day and open workouts and that makes people excited to watch the fights. But nobody cares when it’s the UFC APEX.”

The event, headlined by an unexpected rematch between Marvin Vettori and Roman Dolidze, showcased the talents of fighters like Andre Lima and Kevin Vallejos. Moicano, however, believes their potential impact was severely limited by the APEX environment.

The Diminishing Returns of APEX Events

“UFC APEX cards must stop,” Moicano declared, emphasizing his point with specific examples. “For example, Carlos Vera beating Josias Musasa, what does that do for the bantamweight division? It changes absolutely nothing. Fck it, you know? They put fights on the APEX and fck it. Cool, nice finish, but where do we go from here? Will people start talking about Carlos Vera fighting Felipe Lima or someone hyped in the bantamweight division? They won’t, especially because it doesn’t make a difference. That’s my point. You can have a bunch of knockouts, like Waldo Cortes-Acosta on Ryan Spann. So what? Where does Waldo Cortes go? What is he going to do? Who is he fighting?”

Moicano argues that the lack of media attention and fan engagement at APEX events hinders the growth of fighters’ careers. He contrasts this with the excitement generated by events held in larger arenas, where fighters have the opportunity to connect with fans and media.

“The only guy other than Andre Lima that had some hype was Kevin Vallejos, and that’s because of a loss. He fought Seung Woo Choi at featherweight, he’s 15-1 now, but I think he kind of blew it. His only loss was to Jean Silva and he gets to the UFC and knocks out this Korean and asks to fight Jean Silva, a fight that makes no sense. But I want to see what his kid does in the division, because the Jean Silva fight was excellent. I really don’t know what his next step will be but I want to watch his fight. He got a little bit of hype. Now imagine if Kevin Vallejos was fighting on a pay-per-view and knocks this guy out. The hype would be completely different. That’s my problem with the UFC APEX.”

He further elaborates on the point with the example of Ignacio Bahamondes. “Ignacio Bahamondes. He was fighting at the APEX all the time and did a nice spinning kick knockout there, like [Mauricio] Ruffy’s, and nobody cared. He submitted Jalin Turner the other day on a numbered card — Turner was obviously ranked, but the finish didn’t compare to the spinning knockout he had, and now he has a f*cking hype and is in the top 15. Again, these UFC APEX cards, the fact the structure is all there, it makes the card worse even if they have good fights like Kavin Vallejos and Andre Lima.”

While the UFC has begun to shift away from the APEX, with only three of the next ten events scheduled there, Moicano’s critique raises crucial questions about the venue’s long-term impact on the sport. As the UFC continues to navigate the balance between cost-effectiveness and fan engagement, the debate surrounding the APEX is likely to continue. With the UFC returning to London and Mexico City, the contrast between these events and those held at the APEX will undoubtedly further highlight the issues raised by Moicano.