The UFC is looking to end the year with a bang! A former champion is returning to the Octagon to square off against the man who knocked out flyweight champion Joshua Van in the first fight announced for UFC 335.

Six days ago, MMA Fighting reported that the UFC was looking to include Brandon Moreno vs. Charles Johnson on its final numbered event, scheduled for December 12 at the T-Mobile Arena. Well, a new update regarding the matchup has confirmed that both flyweights will indeed clash in Vegas roughly two months from now.

“Brandon Moreno vs. Charles Johnson set for UFC 335 on December 12th,” Home of Fight posted on X.

Coming to the matchup, the fight will be pivotal for both flyweights, especially at their current stages.

For Brandon Moreno, the year 2026 has been a pretty middling one. The former flyweight champion suffered an upset against Lone’er Kavanagh at UFC Mexico in February. The loss was even more significant because Kavanagh replaced Moreno’s original opponent, Asu Almabayev, on short notice and still beat him.

Following that monumental defeat, Moreno needed a statement victory to show he is still the name that once ruled the division, and he finally got one, though not so soundly. ‘The Assassin Baby’ beat Joseph Morales via split decision at UFC Noche on September 12, 2026, in a really close encounter.

On the other hand, Charles Johnson has fought four times this year so far, twice the volume of Moreno.

The UFC veteran has had a lackluster year of fights, winning two of his four. However, Johnson indeed staged a resurgence in his last fight against Eduardo Chapolin at UFC 330, earning a very rare Scottish twister submission.

Even though Johnson is known for his highlight-reel finishes, his popularity surged when he knocked out Joshua Van in 2024. At that time, Van was climbing the ladder contender when ‘Inner G’ knocked him out cold.

After losing against Johnson, Joshua Van won eight fights in a row, which includes his recent title defense over Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331.

A win for either Moreno or Johnson would not necessarily guarantee a title shot. However, it can surely open doors to higher-ranked matchups in the division that would bring them closer to the championship.

Now, with the first fight of UFC 335 official, the promotion has kept a veil over the headliner of the event. Nothing has been announced so far, but it seems the middleweight title is going to be on the line in December. 

Sean Strickland vs. Nassourdine Imavov would most likely headline UFC 335  

At present, most of the UFC champions are either scheduled to defend their respective titles or have already competed in championship clashes and are now taking some much-needed rest. Regardless, it seems Sean Strickland would be the perfect candidate to end UFC’s 2026 on a blockbuster note.

Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev in early May at UFC 328 to reclaim the middleweight belt in Newark, New Jersey. Since then, a possible title defense against Nassourdine Imavov in a rematch has remained the talk of the town.

Recently, Strickland himself confirmed his title defense would be against Imavov while answering some fans’ questions online. With the middleweight champion already eyeing an opponent, the bout would make sense for December, since Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit is taking place at UFC 334 in November.

The hype for the 185-pound fight between Strickland and Imavov at UFC 335 is already running high, with former BMF champion Jorge Masvidal excited to witness ‘Tarzan’ squaring off with ‘The Sniper.’

“I’m excited about that fight, great fight,” Masvidal told MMA Junkie. “I like Imavov. He’s a sniper. He’s real, real technical. You can tell with the way he’s fighting, he’s always thinking a couple steps ahead. He’s like, ‘If the guy does this, I’m going to do that,’ and Sean’s just all energy, just coming forward with that pressure.”

“I think this is going to be an amazing fight. Also, Imavov has been out for a while. … Imavov has a good style also to deal with the Strickland pressure. I’m going to go with Strickland, though. I think it’s going to be a tough fight for Sean. The speed, his athleticism, the timing, his distance management.”

With only a few months until UFC 335, it is expected that the promotion will announce the last numbered card of this year, one of its marquee events, once the entire matchmaking is complete.