Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega was expected to (finally) make his lightweight debut opposite 155-pound fan favorite Renato Moicano as part of the upcoming UFC 326 event on Paramount+, scheduled for Sat., March 7, 2026 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Not happening.
That’s according to Brazilian reporter Léo Walker Guimaraes, who also brought word that lightweight up-and-comer Tom Nolan was in the running to replace Ortega in “Sin City.” That said, Nolan’s manager is disputing the addition of “Big Train” to the UFC 326 lineup.
Moicano, 36, is looking to rebound from last year’s UFC 317 loss to Beneil Dariush.
Ortega’s withdrawal marks another setback for the No. 10-ranked featherweight contender, who’s dropped four of his last five and hospitalized himself trying to make weight for UFC Shanghai. The exact reason for his absence at UFC 326 has yet to be revealed.
