Jose Ochoa has been forced out of his scheduled flyweight bout against Charles Johnson at UFC 330 this weekend after suffering an injury. The UFC is expected to announce a replacement opponent for Johnson later today. Eduardo Enrique, who won a DWCS bout last year but did not receive a contract at the time, is among the candidates being considered.
Charles Johnson's scheduled flyweight appearance at UFC 330 has hit a snag just days before fight night, with the UFC confirming that Jose Ochoa has been forced to withdraw due to an injury. The event, headlined by Makhachev vs. Machado Garry, takes place on August 15, and the promotion is expected to announce a replacement opponent for Johnson later in the day.
Johnson, known as "InnerG," enters the weekend without a dance partner after the withdrawal. The 35-year-old American, who trains out of Murcielago MMA, carries a 19-9 record in the flyweight division. A switch-stance striker standing five-foot-nine with a 70-inch reach, Johnson lands 4.77 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy — numbers that mark him as one of the more active and efficient strikers in the 125-pound weight class.
Ochoa, nicknamed "Kalzifer," now faces an uncertain return timeline. The 25-year-old Peruvian southpaw out of Chute Boxe Diego Lima held a 9-2 record heading into what would have been the bout. At five-foot-seven with a 67-inch reach, Ochoa relies heavily on his submission game, averaging 1.3 submission attempts per 15 minutes — more than four times Johnson's rate in that department.
Why it matters
- Johnson is left without an opponent days before a numbered UFC event, creating urgency for the promotion to find a short-notice replacement.
- Eduardo Enrique, a DWCS winner who did not receive a contract at the time of his victory, has emerged as one of the names being considered as a potential fill-in.
- A short-notice opponent could significantly alter the stylistic dynamics of the bout Johnson had prepared for.
Saturday, August 15, 2026
