Brian Ortega withdraws from UFC 331 fight with Renato Moicano

Brian Ortega has withdrawn from his UFC 331 bout with Renato Moicano after suffering an eye injury that required stitches, with the former title challenger saying he was on weight and plans to resume training soon.

Brian Ortega has withdrawn from his scheduled UFC 331 fight with Renato Moicano because of an eye injury that required stitches, the former UFC featherweight title challenger said.

“I have to pull out of the fight because of the stitches in my eye,” Ortega wrote in an Instagram statement, according to MMA Junkie. He said the injury happened during training.

Ortega said he was already on weight and described the preparation as “one of my best camps.” He added that he expected to return to training soon and referred to fighting again in November.

The withdrawal followed an announcement from the UFC that Ortega was out of the event because of an injury. The promotion initially did not identify the nature of the problem before Ortega explained the reason for his withdrawal.

The bout had been scheduled for the main card of Crypto.com UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on September 19, 2026. It was set to be a lightweight contest between Ortega and Moicano.

Moicano was subsequently removed from the event and moved into a later UFC Fight Night main event against Tom Nolan, according to Sherdog. The UFC has not announced a replacement opponent for Ortega at UFC 331 because the matchup has been taken off the card.

Ortega’s next fight date remains unclear, although his reference to November indicates he expects to return later in the year. His statement did not specify which eye was injured.