Renato Moicano furious after Brian Ortega withdraws from UFC 331
The Brazilian lightweight was left frustrated after Ortega pulled out of their fight one week before the event.
Renato Moicano did not hide his frustration after Brian Ortega withdrew from their UFC 331 matchup. The Brazilian was scheduled to face Ortega in Los Angeles on Saturday, but his opponent pulled out of the fight one week before the event, leaving Moicano without an opponent.
Renato Moicano Blasts Brian Ortega
This is not the first time Ortega has pulled out of a fight against Moicano. The lightweight contenders were previously expected to face each other at UFC 326 in March, but the American withdrew from the bout a little over a month before due to injuries.
With Ortega withdrawing from the matchup again, this time only a week before the event, Moicano did not hide his frustration with his opponent. The Brazilian took to his YouTube channel to react to the news, calling Ortega's withdrawal unexpected and claiming he lost what he considered the easiest fight in the division.
"Ortega chickened out," Moicano began. "Something I never expected whatsoever. Quite simply, the easiest fight in the division just slipped right through my fingers. And I was pissed, I was angry, but there's nothing I can do about it. If you're watching this video, it's because I'm not going to fight at UFC 331, unfortunately, because of this son of a bitch, because of this guy who's always pulling out."
The 37-year-old was particularly frustrated by the timing of the withdrawal. Moicano said he had spent weeks preparing for the matchup while also sacrificing time away from his work as a content creator.
"This guy is coming off four straight losses, or three straight losses, hasn't fought in over two years, and this is already the second fight he's pulled out of with one week to go," Moicano said. "And it's the second fight against me, man! Twice against me! And what this son of a bitch doesn't know is that you have to cut weight, you spend money on training, you spend hours not producing content — and I'm a f*cking YouTuber now."
Renato Moicano Reveals Financial Frustration
Moicano also highlighted the financial consequences of the cancellation, claiming the fight represented a significant payday. However, the Brazilian acknowledged that the reported amount had not been officially confirmed.
"It was the easiest half a million dollars I was ever going to put in my pocket," Moicano said with a laugh. "Nobody talks about that. The money I'm talking about is just… they said it, okay? That's what was reported. Nobody knows for sure, but they said it."
With Ortega pulling out of the fight, Moicano has already been moved to another card. The Brazilian is now expected to face Tom Nolan in the UFC Vegas 123 main event on Oct. 31.
