Brian Ortega withdraws injured from UFC 331 bout vs. Renato Moicano

Brian Ortega has been forced out of his scheduled lightweight clash against Renato Moicano at UFC 331, pulling out due to injury just three days before the event is set to take place on September 19, 2026.

Ortega, known as "T-City," entered the bout carrying a professional record of 16 wins and 5 losses. The 35-year-old American, who trains out of Black House, is primarily a featherweight and sits ranked eleventh in that division. He fights out of a switch stance and owns a reach of 69 inches. Despite a modest striking output of 3.84 significant strikes landed per minute at 37 percent accuracy, Ortega has long been respected for his submission threat, averaging 0.9 submission attempts per 15 minutes throughout his career.

Moicano, meanwhile, now finds himself without an opponent just days out from the event. The 37-year-old Brazilian is ranked eleventh in the lightweight division and holds a record of 21-7-1. Standing five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach, Moicano lands 4.1 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy and adds a consistent grappling dimension to his game, averaging 1.68 takedowns and 0.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes.

With the Ortega-Moicano bout no longer on the card, the previously scheduled contest between Gable Steveson and Sean Sharaf has been bumped up to the main card. Sharaf, nicknamed "The Smoke," is a 33-year-old American from Xtreme Couture who holds a 4-2-0 record. The six-foot-three orthodox fighter carries a 77-inch reach and produces a striking-heavy style, landing 7.41 significant strikes per minute.

Why it matters

• Ortega's withdrawal leaves Moicano without an opponent and could affect the lightweight ranking picture depending on how the card is restructured.
• The Steveson vs. Sharaf promotion to the main card gives both fighters significantly higher visibility than originally anticipated.
• Ortega's injury is the latest disruption to a UFC 331 card that will now look notably different than originally announced.