Renato Moicano was supposed to finally settle his unfinished business with Brian Ortega at UFC 331. Instead, he's left waiting. Again.
“"The easiest fight in the division just slipped through my fingers."”
Ortega has withdrawn from their September 19 rematch at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles after suffering a cut above his eye that required stitches. It is the second time this year the fight has been canceled. And Moicano is not taking it quietly.
Five days out
The withdrawal came just five days before fight night. Ortega revealed the injury was caused by an accidental headbutt during jiu-jitsu training — not sparring, but a routine session going over final game plans. The gash left him needing numerous stitches, and he knew he wouldn't be medically cleared to compete.
Rumors of the injury began swirling on Monday morning after Christian rapper Lecrae posted a video of a bandaged Ortega at a restaurant. The UFC officially confirmed the withdrawal a few hours later, scrapping one of the lightweight bouts from the Los Angeles card.
Ortega was furious at the suggestion he was ducking the fight. "For all of you who are saying that I pulled out because I'm scared, I'm ducking, whatever, you guys are stupid people among stupid people," Ortega said on Instagram. "Straight up. I'm not even going to sugarcoat that sh*t, you guys are some dumbasses."
He also posted a longer statement: "This one hurts. I have to pull out of the fight because of the stitches in my eye. I'm on weight, I've been training my ass off, and this has honestly been one of the best camps I've ever had. I was really looking forward to fighting at home in Los Angeles." Ortega said he'll be back in November.
The easiest fight in the division
Moicano, to put it mildly, was not convinced. In an angry video posted to his YouTube channel, the Brazilian accused Ortega of wasting his time, money, and preparation — and questioned whether other fighters would even want to deal with him after two cancellations. "The easiest fight in the division just slipped through my fingers," Moicano said.
The second cancellation stings because this rivalry has been waiting a decade for its second chapter. The two first met at UFC 214 in July 2017, when Ortega submitted Moicano with a guillotine choke at 2:59 of the third round — a fight Moicano had been competitive in until he shot for a takedown and walked straight into the choke. That loss was the first of Moicano's career. He's spent nearly nine years chasing the rematch, and twice this year it has evaporated — first ahead of a scheduled March bout, now five days before UFC 331.
A new main event instead
The UFC moved quickly. Moicano has been rebooked to headline an Oct. 31 card against rising Australian lightweight Tom Nolan (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in a five-round main event. It's not a bad fight. But it's not the one Moicano wanted.
For Ortega (16-5 MMA), the injury adds to a frustrating run. The 35-year-old hasn't competed since dropping a unanimous decision to Aljamain Sterling in August 2025, and he hasn't won a fight since February 2024. His move to lightweight — made after he came in heavy for the Sterling clash — was supposed to be a fresh start. Instead, he's now pulled out of two Moicano bookings in a single year.
Is Ortega vs. Moicano 2 officially cursed — or should the UFC stop trying to book it?
