Brian Ortega has officially closed the featherweight chapter of his UFC career, confirming he is moving up to lightweight.
Ortega was scheduled to face Renato Moicano in a rematch at UFC 326 but withdrew due to injury. He and his team have now opted for a full-time shift to 155 pounds to avoid the drastic cuts he previously endured from around 185 to 145.
"We had Moicano lined up in the books, we said let’s go to 155 so we’re not cutting as much weight anymore," Ortega said, adding that his coach warned him about the toll of big cuts: "[My coach] said, ‘You’re getting older, and these 40-pound weight cuts aren’t it anymore. From 185 to 145."
Ortega’s weight issues have surfaced repeatedly. At UFC 303 in 2024, he changed a fight with Diego Lopes to lightweight on one day’s notice due to weight-cutting issues and then withdrew the night of the fight. Before a bout with Aljamain Sterling in China, he fainted during his weight cut, was hospitalized, and reported being in a coma for about 30 minutes before still competing.
A former two-time UFC featherweight title challenger, Ortega explained that the move is about health and sustainability. "Honestly, there was never any real reason other than: that’s my weight class," he said. Now walking around at approximately 173 pounds, he added, "173 is about [the sweet spot]," and noted, "I can do three or five rounds. It was all bad habits, and I’ve been slowly fixing them."
Ortega still wants to fight Moicano, who is seeking to have the bout rebooked at lightweight.
