UFC 331 Adds Brian Ortega vs. Renato Moicano Rematch to Stacked September Fight Card Set for This Fall

A lightweight rematch nearly a decade in the making has been added to UFC 331, with Brian Ortega set to face Renato Moicano on Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, bringing renewed attention to a rivalry that dates back to one of the promotion's most memorable fights of 2017.

MMA journalist Leo Guimaraes was first to report the booking, writing on social media that the Moicano-Ortega rematch was in advanced negotiations for the card. Multiple outlets have since confirmed the matchup is set, adding another marquee bout to an already stacked lineup that has been steadily taking shape over the past several weeks.

A Fight Nine Years in the Making

Ortega and Moicano first met at UFC 214 in July 2017, a bout that earned Fight of the Night honors and remains one of the more dramatic finishes of either fighter's career. Moicano appeared to be winning on the scorecards through the early rounds before Ortega locked in a guillotine choke late in the third round, submitting the Brazilian and handing him the first loss of his professional career.

Nearly a decade later, the two veterans will run it back, though the circumstances surrounding the rematch have shifted considerably. Their first meeting took place at featherweight, but September's bout will be contested at lightweight, marking Ortega's official move up to 155 pounds after years of struggling to make the featherweight limit.

A Difficult Road to the Rebooking

This will not be the first attempt at staging the rematch in 2026. The fight was originally planned for UFC 326 earlier in the year before Ortega withdrew for undisclosed reasons, pushing the matchup back until UFC officials were able to rebook it for September's card in Los Angeles.

Ortega's path to this rematch has been marked by significant difficulty in recent fight camps. He pulled out of a scheduled bout against Diego Lopes ahead of UFC 303 before the two eventually met months later at UFC 306. He then struggled to make weight ahead of a bout against Aljamain Sterling at UFC Shanghai, forcing that contest to be shifted to a catchweight affair. Ortega lost that fight decisively, getting outworked across five rounds, extending a stretch in which he has now dropped four of his last five outings. The repeated weight-cutting issues ultimately factored into the decision to move him up to lightweight on a permanent basis, a shift being framed less as an experiment and more as a practical reset for the 35-year-old former two-time featherweight title challenger.

Moicano, meanwhile, enters the rematch in considerably stronger recent form. The 37-year-old, who moved up to lightweight permanently several years ago after spending his first eight UFC appearances at featherweight, snapped a two-fight losing skid in his most recent outing by submitting Scottish contender Chris Duncan in the main event of UFC Vegas 115. That performance has left Moicano positioned as a betting favorite heading into the September rematch, according to analysts who have pointed to his sharper recent form inside the Octagon compared to Ortega's extended rough patch.

What's at Stake for Both Fighters

For Ortega, a win in his lightweight debut would provide a ranked start in a new weight class following a rocky final stretch at featherweight, offering a potential career reset against a well-regarded opponent. For Moicano, the fight represents both an opportunity to protect his standing in the lightweight rankings and a chance to finally even the score in a rivalry that has sat unfinished since 2017.

A Growing Card in Los Angeles

UFC 331 has continued to take shape as a heavily anticipated numbered event, with the Ortega-Moicano booking joining a rumored lightweight rematch between former interim champion Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan for the BMF title, widely expected to headline the card. Additional bouts reported for the lineup include Charles Jourdain against Marlon Vera, Ryan Gandra against Ozzy Diaz, Dooho Choi against Patricio Freire, and a women's flyweight matchup between Eduarda Moura and Casey O'Neill.

As of the latest reports, the UFC had not yet formally announced an official main event or co-main event for the card, though the presence of multiple ranked and former title-challenging fighters across the lineup has already generated significant buzz among fans and analysts ahead of the September date.

A Familiar Venue for a Historic Rivalry

Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as Staples Center, has hosted numerous high-profile UFC events over the years and is set to once again serve as the backdrop for a fight carrying significant personal stakes for both competitors. The venue's history with major UFC cards adds to the anticipation surrounding a bout that many fans have wanted to see rebooked since Ortega's dramatic 2017 finish first launched the rivalry between the two veterans.

With UFC 331 still roughly six weeks away, additional bouts are expected to be added to the card in the coming weeks as the promotion continues finalizing its lineup for the September event. For now, the confirmed pairing of Ortega and Moicano stands as one of the most compelling storylines on the developing card, offering fans a chance to see whether Moicano can finally settle the score against the man who handed him his first career loss, or whether Ortega can use the rivalry as a springboard to reestablish himself in a fresh weight class after a difficult stretch at 145 pounds.