Brian Ortega is aiming for reinvention at UFC 331
At UFC 331, Brian Ortega faces more than just another opponent, as his move up a division is his last chance to rebuild himself back into title contention.
With his recent struggles, Brian Ortega has found himself at a career crossroads. His time in the UFC featherweight division has come to an end after a decade-long tenure. Now, with UFC 331 awaiting him on Sep. 19, he'll move up to lightweight, where he takes on Renato Moicano, a fellow ex-featherweight, in a rematch 9 years in the making.
Brian Ortega cannot afford another loss
Back in early 2018, Brian Ortega was an undefeated fighter coming off a first-round win over ex-UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, who he knocked out in a featherweight bout at UFC 222. At the time, 'The Answer' was the latest in a long line of featherweight elites who Ortega had dusted via either submission or knockout/TKO. Among his conquests was Renato Moicano, who he submitted in round three at UFC 214. Everyone understood that a title shot was next, and with his patented blend of toughness, heavy-handed striking, and top-tier submission grappling, no one faulted Ortega for believing himself a potential champion.
However, the featherweight title fight that came next went about as badly as possible. Max Holloway, the then reigning champion, faced him at UFC 231. Despite the Fight of the Night honors that both men earned, it was a one-sided beatdown, with only Ortega's durability keeping him in the fight. By round four, the cage-side doctor had seen enough. Ortega was a bloodied, swollen mess. The fight was called and Holloway was awarded the fourth-round TKO via doctor stoppage. It was Ortega's first-ever loss, not only marking the end of his undefeated streak, but the end of any win streak he'd ever have. After that loss, he went on a two-year hiatus, before returning against legendary action fighter Chan Sung Jung at UFC Fight Island 6. While he won the fight via unanimous decision, showcasing improved striking, he lost his next two fights.
DIEGO LOPES JUST DROPPED BRIAN ORTEGA 😱
— UFC (@ufc) September 15, 2024
[ #UFC306 at @RiyadhSeason #NocheUFC live RIGHT NOW on @ESPNPlus PPV ] pic.twitter.com/0N8tHWW2VH
Alexander Volkanovski defeated him via unanimous decision at UFC 266 in 'T-City's' second featherweight title fight. Then, Ortega suffered his second consecutive defeat at UFC on ABC 3, where he dislocated his shoulder in round one, causing him to lose to Yair Rodriguez via TKO due to injury. He went on another two-year hiatus, then returned against Rodriguez in a rematch at UFC Fight Night 237. Ortega won the bout via third-round submission, but lost his next two fights via unanimous decision to Diego Lopes and Aljamain Sterling at UFC 306 and UFC Fight Night 257 respectively. In short, Ortega went from an unbeaten 14-0 (1) star, to going 2-5 in his next seven fights, which is his most recent run.
🚨 BREAKING: Brian Ortega is finally moving up to the lightweight division!
— MMA Pros Pick (@MMA_PROS_PICK_) July 24, 2026
He will face Renato Moicano at #ufc331 on September 19! 👀
Per: @BigMarcel24 pic.twitter.com/bSRwHQ6Z7n
To make matters worse, he struggled to make weight against Sterling, which turned the bout into a catchweight. He's also an unranked featherweight on the Meta UFC rankings, and ranked outside of the top 10 at #11 on the media panel rankings. It's clear he'll never fight for the featherweight title ever again, and his only hope is to reinvent himself at lightweight. So, he's now scheduled to face Moicano at UFC 331 in the 155-pound division. A win would grant his career a lifeline, but a loss would leave him on a three-fight losing streak, 2-6 in his last 8 fights, and incapable of beating top fighters in any division within his range. At 35 years old, inactive, and with an injury-marred history, that's a professional death sentence.
