After days of rumors, it’s official: Brian Ortega has ended his UFC 326 fight with Renato Moicano.
Ortega, a former featherweight title challenger in the UFC, confirmed the rumors a video statement posted on social media on Friday. It appears that nagging injuries that have piled up are the reason for the withdrawal.
“Obviously the news is coming out that I won’t be fighting anymore on March 7 in Vegas. I’m doing well, health is good, no surgeries, anything crazy like that, but I do have to take some time off to take care of the injuries I have right now,” Ortega said in Friday’s video statement addressed to fans and supporters. “It just sucks, where it’s not that crazy, where I don’t need surgery, but I need to let it rest and let it heal and cool down and get some physical therapy. I’m going on that mission, so that’s it.”
Ortega, whose career was halted several times due to injury, remained optimistic about the 2026 fight as a whole.
“It’s just been postponed a bit, nothing too crazy. I’m still planning to fight twice this year, so watch out.”
Ortega hasn’t won a fight since February 2024 and is in a two-fight skid, which he hoped to break against Moicano, who started 2025 with a short title fight against then-lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
It remains to be seen if Moicano will get a replacement opponent, but with the card only a month away, it shouldn’t be too difficult.
UFC 326 takes place on March 7, 2026 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The title will be headlined by a ‘BMF’ title fight between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira.
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