Brian Ortega’s long-awaited jump to lightweight was supposed to answer a lingering question about his career. Instead, it’s now surrounded by confusion, conflicting reports, and another setback.
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Brazilian reporter Léo Walker Guimaraes recently dropped a bombshell on X, claiming Ortega was out of his UFC 326 co-main event against Renato Moicano. According to Guimaraes, the UFC planned to slot in Tom Nolan as a replacement, with the Brazilian side already on board.
“EXCLUSIVE: I was able to confirm that Brian Ortega is out of the fight against Renato Moicano at UFC 326, March 7,” Guimaraes wrote. He added that “the organization’s plan is to put Tom Nolan in to replace the American,” and that the matchup had been accepted by Moicano’s camp, even if contracts weren’t finalized.
Almost immediately, Nolan’s manager, Daniel Rubenstein, fired back, publicly disputing the claim and casting doubt on the entire narrative. “That’s not what the organization told me the plans were for Tom Nolan a mere day ago,” Rubenstein responded.
He didn’t stop there, further adding, “Leo I’m easy to find if you ever need to confirm something with one of my guys, since clearly you only spoke to the Brazilian side of this equation, instead of posting “exclusive” fake info.”
That’s not what the organization told me the plans were for Tom Nolan a mere day ago. Leo I’m easy to find if you ever need to confirm something with one of my guys, since clearly you only spoke to the Brazilian side of this equation, instead of posting “exclusive” fake info.
EXCLUSIVO: pude apurar que Brian Ortega está fora da luta contra Renato Moicano no UFC 326, 7 de março. O plano da organização é colocar Tom Nolan para substituir o americano O confronto já foi aceito pelo lado do brasileiro, apesar de não haver contrato até o momento
So, where does that leave the UFC 326 co-main event? At the moment, it is stuck in limbo. For Brian Ortega, it was more than just another fight. It was his long-delayed lightweight debut, a chance to reset his trajectory after years of injuries, inactivity, and frustrating near-misses.
For Moicano, it was a chance to rebound and reassert himself after a loss to Beneil Dariush at UFC 317. Now, that entire plan appears shaky, and the Tom Nolan angle only adds to the uncertainty.
Nolan (10-1) is a promising lightweight prospect, but stepping into a co-main event on short notice against a veteran like Moicano would be a massive leap. Guimaraes reported the Brazilian side had already accepted the matchup, suggesting confidence on Moicano’s end. Rubenstein’s rebuttal, however, implies that Nolan’s camp hasn’t been told the same story by the UFC.
That disconnect matters. It suggests either that plans are changing rapidly behind the scenes, or someone moved too early with information that wasn’t fully baked. But what makes Brian Ortega’s UFC 326 withdrawal sting more is the context.
UFC 326 withdrawal adds to the growing list of Brian Ortega’s troubles
Brian Ortega’s resume over the last few years tells a story of talent taking on bad luck headfirst. The former featherweight title challenger has now lost four of his last five Octagon appearances.
The most alarming example came last August in Shanghai. Ortega tipped the scales at 153 pounds ahead of his main-event bout with Aljamain Sterling, a miss so severe it ended up with him in the hospital and underscored how untenable featherweight had become. He went on to lose a unanimous decision, but the bigger issue lingered beyond the scorecards.
In fact, Ortega’s only win in the last few years came back in February 2024, when he submitted Yair Rodriguez. Since then, momentum has been elusive. Injuries, weight issues, and long layoffs have chipped away at what once made ‘T-City’ a perennial contender.
That’s why the planned move to lightweight against Renato Moicano felt like a necessary pivot. Here was his chance to stop fighting the scale and start fighting opponents again, which makes this withdrawal harder to ignore.
As things stand, the exact reason for Ortega’s absence at UFC 326 has yet to be revealed, so the question becomes unavoidable: is this just bad timing, or another sign that Ortega’s career is at a crossroads? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
