UFC 331 Has Big Change With Injury To Ex-Title Challenger 5 Days Before Card

UFC 331 got a wild shake-up late Monday night.

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

UFC 331 has lost a fight that was set to take place Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA.

Former UFC featherweight title contender Brian Ortega was initially set to make his lightweight debut in his home state of California, but that is no longer true.

Monday evening, the UFC shared that the 35-year-old UFC veteran, who was hoping to snap a two-fight losing skid in a potential rebound effort against 37-year-old former lightweight title challenger Renato Moicano of Brazil, withdrew from the fight on only five days' notice.

Renato Moicano-Brian Ortega Canceled at UFC 331

Sep 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Brian Ortega of the United States (red gloves) fights Diego Lopes of Brazil (blue bloves) during Riyadh Season Noche UFC 306 at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The UFC did not disclose Ortega's injury at press time, as the soon-to-be lightweight would have been given an attempt to win his first fight since previously doing so in Feb. 2024 against ex-interim champion Yair Rodriguez.

Unfortunately for Moicano (21-7-1 MMA), the timing to remain on Saturday's card was a bit too much to ask. So, the UFC found an alternative altogether, it said.

Renato Moicano's Next UFC Fight Revealed

Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Renato Moicano during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

"As a result, Moicano will now face No. 11-ranked contender Tom Nolan in the main event of UFC FIGHT NIGHT taking place on October 31 at Meta APEX in Las Vegas," the release noted. "Moicano steps into his fourth UFC main event, looking for another signature stoppage victory as he takes on the rising Australian Nolan, who is on an impressive five-fight win streak."

It is unclear when Ortega (16-5 MMA) would return to the Octagon, if ever again, as the fight marked the second promotional attempt to make a fight vs. Moicano for Ortega's divisional debut.

With the fight no longer scheduled for Saturday night, the card will move forward with 12 fights rather than the previous iteration of 13.

As for the UFC's Halloween event, Nolan (11-1 MMA) will be facing his most experienced opponent to date. Nolan suffered his lone loss in his debut in Jan. 2024 against Nikolas Motta (15-6 MMA) by TKO in only 63 seconds.

Of Nolan's five consecutive wins, two are by stoppage, including a rear-naked choke against Charlie Campbell last September in Perth, before following it up with a decision win against Fares Ziam in June at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas.

Despite the UFC's re-shuffling, it made a brand-new fight while still keeping Saturday's card intact even, with the reduction. During a chaotic day in MMA, it's just another reminder of how quickly the UFC can pivot without completely scrambling (or, doing the opposite, depending on one's opinion).

UFC 331's Headliner Stays Put

May 9, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, UNITED STATES; Joshua Van (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Tatsuro Taira (blue gloves) during UFC 328 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nonetheless, the fights will roll on as the UFC Flyweight Championship tops the card between recently-minted titleholder Joshua Van and ex-champion Alexandre Pantoja in a rematch of last December's UFC 323 bout in Las Vegas.