Moicano vs. Ortega rematch set for UFC 331 in Los Angeles

Renato Moicano will face Brian Ortega in a lightweight rematch at UFC 331, with the September bout marking Ortega's move up from featherweight.

MMA Fighting reports that the matchup is targeted for Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Leo Guimaraes first broke the news. The two met once before at UFC 214 in 2017, when Ortega submitted Moicano while both competed at 145 pounds.

Why Ortega is moving to lightweight

Ortega's shift to lightweight comes after repeated weight-cutting struggles that forced him out of a March bout against Moicano at UFC 326. He pulled out of a fight with Diego Lopes at UFC 303 before the two eventually met at UFC 306, then missed the 145-pound mark for his bout with Aljamain Sterling at UFC Shanghai, turning that contest into a catch-weight affair. The two-time featherweight title challenger has dropped both his recent outings.

Moicano spent his first eight UFC appearances at featherweight before moving to lightweight in 2020. Since then he has posted an 8-4 record in the division, including a short-notice title challenge against Islam Makhachev at UFC 311. After losing to Makhachev and Beneil Dariush back-to-back, Moicano rebounded with a submission win over Chris Duncan at UFC Vegas 115 in April. He sits at No. 10 in the lightweight rankings.

UFC 331 has not yet announced a main or co-main event. The card takes place at Crypto.com Arena on Sept. 19.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Renato Moicano vs. Brian Ortega rematch targeted for UFC 331