Renato Moicano goes off on Brian Ortega after he ‘chickened out’ of UFC 331: ‘Nobody is ever going to trust you again’

Renato Moicano lashed out at Brian Ortega after the featherweight withdrew from their scheduled UFC 331 bout on September 19, marking the second time Ortega has cancelled a fight with the Brazilian. Ortega pulled out due to a cut above his left eye, less than 72 hours after Moicano had expressed confidence the fight would proceed.

Moicano, who is now set to headline UFC Vegas 123 against Tom Nolan on October 31, took to YouTube to voice his frustration. He accused Ortega of "chickening out" and highlighted the tangible costs of fight cancellations: training expenses, weight-cut sacrifices, and lost income from his YouTube streaming commitments. "How many days of live streams did I miss?" Moicano asked rhetorically, noting he is 37 and finds training increasingly burdensome.

The Brazilian criticized Ortega's track record, pointing out that the featherweight is coming off multiple losses, hasn't fought in over two years, and pulled out with just one week's notice—the second such cancellation against Moicano. Notably, the bout was scheduled in Los Angeles, Ortega's hometown, which Moicano framed as an added indignity.

Moicano acknowledged the financial upside—reportedly worth around half a million dollars—but emphasized the reputational damage Ortega has sustained. "Nobody is ever going to trust you again," Moicano declared, predicting that other fighters will be reluctant to commit to bouts with Ortega given his history of withdrawals and prior issues including a missed weight against Aljamain Sterling. While Moicano sarcastically referred to fighting Ortega as "easy money," he made clear his primary concern is Ortega's pattern of unreliability in the sport.