UFC 331 has suffered a late setback after Brian Ortega out of his highly anticipated lightweight showdown with Renato Moicano.
Ortega and Moicano were set to run things back more than eight years after their first meeting at UFC 214 in 2017. On that occasion, Ortega secured a submission victory and earned Fight of the Night honors. Their rematch was expected to be a pivotal bout for both men as they looked to stay relevant in the lightweight title picture.
However, just days before UFC 331, the UFC confirmed that Ortega has withdrawn from the fight due to injury.
The news comes after fans had already expressed concern about Ortega’s condition ahead of the event. The former featherweight title challenger was recently spotted with a patch above his eyebrow, leading many to speculate that he was dealing with a cut or another injury.
“Well there goes my underdog lock,” one fan wrote after seeing Ortega’s appearance.“Ortega always finds a way to make it dramatic,” another fan added.
“Lol, he’s obviously gonna pull out. That’s literally all he does these last few years,” a third fan commented.
Another frustrated fan wrote: “When Colby Covington was cut and didn’t want people to know, you know what he did? He used makeup to hide it. This f—– is making sure everyone can see he is cut. F— him.”
“Trying to duck the ‘Money’ Moicano goat,” another fan said.
“A cut? Looks like he got hit by a car,” one commenter added.
While fans speculated about Ortega’s condition, the UFC has now confirmed that the fight is officially off.
The setback continues a difficult stretch for Ortega, who has not competed since August 2025, when he lost a decision to Aljamain Sterling. The former title challenger is currently riding a two-fight losing streak and has gone 1-4 in his last five appearances.
With Brian Ortega out, the UFC also removed Moicano from the UFC 331 card after failing to secure a short-notice replacement. Instead, the promotion announced that Moicano will headline UFC Vegas 123 on October 31 against rising lightweight contender Tom Nolan.
“As a result, Moicano will now face No. 11 ranked contender Tom Nolan in the main event of UFC Fight Night taking place on October 31 at Meta APEX in Las Vegas,” the UFC said in a statement.
“Moicano steps into his fourth UFC main event looking for another signature stoppage victory as he takes on the rising Australian Nolan, who is on an impressive five-fight win streak.”
Moicano enters the matchup fresh off a submission win over Chris Duncan, while Nolan has quickly climbed the rankings and currently sits No. 14 in the lightweight division.
The latest withdrawal raises further questions about Ortega’s future after another lengthy spell on the sidelines. For now, Brian Ortega out of UFC 331 leaves fans waiting once again to see when “T-City” will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon.
