Ortega, a former featherweight title challenger in the UFC, confirmed the rumors in a video statement posted on social media on Friday. It appears nagging injuries that have been piling up are the reason for the withdrawal.

“Obviously the news is coming out that no longer am I fighting on March 7 in Vegas. I’m okay, health is good, no surgeries, nothing crazy like that, but I do need to take a little bit, some time off to nurse these injuries that I have right now,” said Ortega in Friday’s video statement, addressed to fans and supporters. “It just sucks, where it’s not crazy like that, where I don’t need to have surgery, but I have to rest it and let it heal and chill and get some physical therapy. I’m going to be on that mission, so that’s it.”

Ortega, whose career has been halted several times due to injury, remained optimistic about fighting in 2026 as a whole.

“It’s just a little bit delayed, nothing crazy. I’m still planning on fighting twice this year, so look out.”

Ortega hasn’t won a fight since February of 2024 and is on a two-fight skid, which he was hoping to snap against Moicano, who started 2025 with a short notice title fight opposite then-lightweight champ Islam Makhachev.

It remains to be seen if Moicano gets a replacement opponent, but with the card over a month away, it shouldn’t be too hard.

UFC 326 takes place on March 7, 2026 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s headlined by a “BMF” title fight between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira.

The post Brian Ortega Announces He’s Out of UFC 326, Still Plans to Fight Twice in 2026 appeared first on Cageside Press.

In a bout announced by the promotion on Saturday, Renato Moicano (20-7-1) is set to take on Brian Ortega (16-5, 1NC) for the second time.

Journalist Léo Walker Guimaraes had previously reported the pairing. The card takes place on March 7, 2026 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The pair first met in 2017 ten pounds down at featherweight, when Ortega submitted Moicano with a guillotine choke as part of UFC 214. It was Moicano’s first loss as a professional.

Since then, Moicano has gone on to fight for lightweight gold, albeit as a short-notice replacement. Following that bout, which saw him submitted by then-champ Islam Makhachev, the Brazilian dropped a follow-up against Beneil Dariush.

As for Ortega, the former featherweight title challenger has struggled with injuries, his weight (forcing the move to 155lbs), and has lost his last two fights against Aljamain Sterling and Diego Lopes.

While Ortega is unranked in the lightweight division, Renato Moicano sits at #10.

UFC 326 is headlined by a “BMF” title fight, as Max Holloway puts his belt on the line against former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. The following match-ups have been reported/announced for the March card, which will air on Paramount+ in the U.S.:

• Max Holloway (c) vs. Charles Oliveira — For the symbolic UFC “BMF” championship
• Caio Borralho vs. Reinier de Ridder
• Renato Moicano vs. Brian Ortega
• Paulo Costa vs. Brunno Ferreira
• Cody Garbrandt vs. Xiao Long
• Rafael Tobias vs. Diyar Nurgozhay
• Cody Durden vs. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel

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Zhang Mingyang

Johnny Walker crumbled Zhang Mingyang on Saturday handing the “Mountain Tiger” his first loss in six years and 12 fights. Zhang, who entered the fight ranked at #14 in the division is now 3-1 within the UFC. Walker entered the fight ranked at #13. Tough loss that kills a lot of momentum for Zhang, as that would have been a massive victory and feather in his cap, in front of his home country as well.

A good next opponent for the 27-year-old light heavyweight would be against the winner of Modestas Bukauskas vs Paul Craig.

Now this might be a bit of a head scratcher matchup, but Zhang is still young, has a solid record and plenty of time to ascend the ranks. Why rush? Paul Craig and Modestas Bukauskas are scheduled to fight on September 6th so the timing could be perfect. Craig is a nearly 10-year UFC vet with a 9-9-1, 1 NC record with the UFC. Craig moved up to light heavyweight after a three-fight skid at 185lbs, losing to big names like Brendan Allen, Caio Borralho and Bo Nickal. His most recent fight, against Rodolfo Bellato, ended in a no contest from an up kick. Bukauskas is 6-4 within the UFC and has won three of his last four fights. Modestas was last in the cage back in May when he snagged a split decision win opposite of Ion Cutelaba.

Both of these guys are seasoned vets that have had past struggles but are still respectable names. Neither are currently ranked, but who knows if Zhang will remain ranked or slip out of the updated rankings. Winner gets a ranking.

Zhang’s next fight: Winner of Modestas Bukauskas vs Paul Craig

Brian Ortega

Aljamain Sterling outworked Brian Ortega on his way to a unanimous decision victory in the co-main event of UFC Shanghai Saturday. The story heading into the fight was Ortega’s abysmal weight cut which forced the fight to take place at a catchweight of 153lbs. With the loss, T-City falls to 8-5, 1 NC in the UFC. Ortega has lost four of his last five bouts dating to his 2021 title challenge against Alexander Volkanovski.

Ortega entered the cage on Saturday ranked at #5 within the featherweight division while his opponent was ranked at #7. Brian’s next fight should be against Aaron Pico if he decides to try and stay at featherweight. This pick is from a previous edition of losers and could still work although not nearly as practical of a matchup after Ortega’s performance. Pico looked good in his UFC debut, till he didn’t, receiving a spinning elbow from Lerone Murphy that flatlined him at UFC 319.

If Ortega elects to move up to 155lbs, a fight between the loser of Benoit Saint-Denis and Mauricio Ruffy makes a lot of sense. The pair are slated to do battle on September 6th. Benoit Saint Denis is currently ranked at #13 while Ruffy is ranked at #15. Giving Ortega the loser of this bout would make a lot of sense as both fighters have name power. Brian’s first fight at lightweight should be notable but with how shark infested the division is, the matchup can’t be completely unwarranted. Either guy offers a unique and dangerous scrap for Ortega which he always embraces.

Ortega’s next fight at 145lbs: Aaron Pico

Ortega’s next fight at 155lbs: Benoit Saint-Denis vs Mauricio Ruffy loser

Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Serghei Pavlovich secured a unanimous decision victory against Waldo Cortes-Acosta on Saturday. Waldo absorbed some big shots on his way to just his second loss in his pro career. Waldo is now 7-2 within the UFC and entered the fight on Saturday ranked at #6. Serghei entered the fight ranked at #8 within the heavyweight division.

A solid next opponent for Cortes-Acosta would be Tai Tuivasa. It’s a name fans haven’t heard in a while. The big fella hasn’t competed in over a year since losing a split decision to Jairzinho Rozenstruik in August of 2024. Rozenstruik has since been released from the promotion. This has the makings to be a great banger. Tai loves to strike, Waldo has good boxing, cardio and a great chin. Definitely has the ingredients to be a wild fight. Waldo would have to wait a few months, but it could potentially make sense with the damage he took at UFC Shanghai.

Tai has lost his last five fights but against stellar competition (Ciryl Gane, Sergei Pavlovich, Alexander Volkov, Marcin Tybura and Jairzinho Rozenstruik). This fight has main card written all over it and could even sneak into a PPV line up. Winner would likely receive a top #5-7 ranking, maybe even higher, with a finish.

Cortes-Acosta’s next fight: Tai Tuivasa

Kevin Borjas

Kevin Borjas was thrashed by Sumudaerji on the main card of UFC Shanghai Saturday, on his way to a unanimous decision defeat. With the loss the 2023 Contender Series product is now just 1-3 in the UFC. Kevin’s lone victory with the promotion came in March of this year against Ronaldo Rodriguez. However, Kevin’s debut loss has a bit of an asterisk next to it considering it was opposite the streaking Joshua Van. Needless to say, Kevin is still in a bit of a hot seat here.

All things considered, Kevin’s next fight should be against loser of Azat Maksum vs Mitch Raposo. That fight is pretty far out and currently scheduled for late October. Edgar Chairez is the matchup that makes the most sense, but he’s injured (they were previously scheduled to fight each other, both have 1-1 record since then). So, the loser of Azat vs Mitch will have to do. Mitch has a common opponent and outcome as he also lost a decision to Sumudaerji in April. Raposo is currently 0-2 with the UFC but both have been split decision losses. Azat is 1-2 with the UFC but his two losses are decisions against solid guys: Charles Johnson and Tagir Ulanbekov. His only win in the UFC was his debut a split decision nod against Tyson Nam. Giving Borjas the loser makes a lot of sense, and the loser of the bout would likely be cut.

Borjas’s next fight: Azat Maksum vs Mitch Raposo loser

Kiefer Crosbie

Taiyilake Nueraji took less than a round to stop Kiefer Crosbie to open the main event of UFC Shanghai on Saturday. Crosbie, a seven-fight veteran of Bellator, is now 0-3 in the UFC since being signed in 2023. Kiefer has been finished in the first round in every one of his fights (Kevin Jousset and Sam Patterson prior to Saturday). Considering it was Nueraji’s UFC debut and that Kevin has been cut by the UFC, Crosbie will likely be cut.

If Crosbie is not released from the promotion a good next opponent would be either Adam Fuggit or Billy Ray Goff. Fuggit is 2-3 within the UFC. Adam was last in action on July 19th, when Islam Dulatov took less than a round to stop him. Fuggit, like Crosbie, has also been stopped in all of his losses. Another good option would be a fight against Billy Ray Goff who is 1-2 within the UFC. Billy last fought in May and was submitted by Ramiz Brahimaj. Loser of this bout gets cut- full stop. Super competitive weight class and these guys currently are struggling to be UFC caliber.

Crosbie’s next fight: Adam Fuggit or Billy Ray Goff

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The last two fighters to hit the scales, rumors were flying that Ortega had been hospitalized and was out of the fight. An ambulance had been seen at the fighter hotel, related or not, but as it turned out, the fight was on. At a catchweight, however, with both men weighing in at 153 pounds.

While the weight issue was reportedly on Ortega’s side, it mattered not. “T-City” versus “The Funkmaster” was a go. A former 135lb champ (Sterling) versus a former featherweight title challenger (Ortega), in a five-round co-main event.

Whether Ortega was compromised by a tough weight cut wasn’t apparent early, but Aljamain Sterling the one pressing forward. Sterling chopped at Ortega’s lead leg, inside and out. In a low-output round, Ortega was single-digits in strikes landed, while neither man appeared to have any thought of a takedown.

The leg kicks continued for Aljamain Sterling in round two; Ortega was showing a bit of redness as a result. Sterling was still well ahead in the striking department, though he nearly created an opening for Ortega with a spinning attack. Ortega’s lead leg was showing some welts or lumps. Aljo then landed a punch that saw Ortega complaining about an eye poke. The ref ruled it a punch, but Sterling actually stopped and opted to give Ortega a break, a questionable tactical move to say the least. Good sportsmanship, but a replay did show it was a punch. Ortega got his break, the round closed out, and Sterling had given away a chance to finish.

Sterling nearly had a takedown off a caught kick in the third, but he couldn’t quite dump Ortega. “T-City” was still having output issues, but he at least hadn’t slowed either. Ortega slipped, tripped up by an Aljo leg kick. Ortega then landed a kick of his own, as the pair traded kicks tit-for-tat. Sterling went upstairs with a kick, after feinting a spinning attack. The crowd was getting restless after three low-action rounds; Ortega’s corner was restless as well, telling their fighter they needed “this whole minute” as the round wore down. Sterling finished the frame with a spinning attack.

Round four found Ortega more than likely behind on the scorecards. Sterling was still moving well, staying outside, forcing Ortega to follow. Ortega tried to cut off the cage, and finally connected with a combination that led to a clinch with just under two minutes remaining in the fourth. Sterling, however, was in control in a flash, pressing Ortega into the fence, then landing a takedown. One minute was on the clock, and Ortega didn’t have much time to work. Sterling was in Ortega’s guard, which he soon closed. Ortega then used the fence to spin himself around, while Sterling fired off some ground n’ pound before the horn sounded.

Ortega’s corner called for a finish, preferably early in the round, ahead of the fifth. He came out with a little more pep in his step, and they’d soon clinched up. That didn’t last long, and Ortega then changed levels for a takedown only to end up reversed and on his back. Near the midway mark, Ortega clipped Sterling with a right hand. Suddenly, Aljo was retreating, and Ortega, after four and a half rounds, was finally in the fight. Ref Herb Dean then warned Sterling for timidity after he continued to retreat. Two minutes remains, and Sterling ducked under, slipped around and took the back. He’d end up dragging Ortega down, taking the back briefly but ended up in guard. That left Ortega firing hammerfists off his back, while Sterling landed body shots. Sterling opened up, Ortega nearly scrambled out, but instead Sterling got back on top, with the pair punching back-and-forth on the ground until the horn sounded.

Official Result: Aljamain Sterling def. Brian Ortega by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

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News swirled during Thursday’s (Friday local time) UFC Shanghai official weigh-in that Ortega had been hospitalized, with rumors of an ambulance seen at the fighter hotel. The entire card had weighed in before the UFC finally announced that both Ortega and Sterling had hit the scales at 153 pounds for their co-main event fight.

That’s well above the contracted featherweight limit, which should have maxed out at 146lbs. And sometimes, where there’s smoke, there’s fire – it does appear that Brian Ortega struggled with his weight cut. However, barring any last minute obstacles, it appears the fight will move forward.

Whether the future of “T-City” remains at featherweight, however, is yet to be seen.

Sterling (24-5) moved to featherweight in conjunction with UFC 300 last year, winning his debut there against Calvin Kattar. The “Funkmaster” followed that up with a loss against the unbeaten Movsar Evloev back in December.

Ortega (16-4, 1NC) is 1-3 in his last four trips to the octagon, and will enter the fight coming off a loss against Diego Lopes.

UFC Shanghai takes place Saturday, August 23, 2025 and is headlined by light heavyweights Johnny Walker and Zhang Mingyang.

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In the main event, one that should go over well with Chinese fight fans, Zhang Mingyang gets his first main event billing in the UFC, taking on popular Brazilian Johnny Walker. Mingyang, 27, has won his first three UFC fights to get here, most recently defeating Anthony Smith in “Lionheart’s” retirement fight.

Walker, once considered a title hopeful, has lost his last two fights, but the Brazilian still holds plenty of name value among fight fans.

In the co-main event, former featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega faces off against Aljamain Sterling, the ex-bantamweight champ now calling 145lbs home.

UFC Shanghai: Walker vs. Mingyang Weigh-In Results

Main card

Light Heavyweight: Johnny Walker (206) vs. Zhang Mingyang (205)
Featherweight: Brian Ortega (153) vs. Aljamain Sterling (153) – bout shifted to catchweight
Heavyweight: Sergei Pavlovich (255.5) vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta (262)
Flyweight: Su Mudaerji (125.5) vs. Kevin Borjas (126)
Welterweight: Taiyilake Nueraji (170) vs. Kiefer Crosbie (170.5)

Preliminary card

Lightweight: Maheshate Hayisaer (155) vs. Gauge Young (155.5)
Flyweight: Lone’er Kavanagh (126) vs. Charles Johnson (126)
Lightweight: Rong Zhu (155.5) vs. Austin Hubbard (155.5)
Middleweight: Michel Pereira (186) vs. Kyle Daukaus (185)
Featherweight: Yi Zha (145) vs. Westin Wilson (146)
Bantamweight: Xiao Long (136) vs. You Su-young (135.5)
Light Heavyweight: Uran Satybaldiev (204) vs. Diyar Nurgozhay (205.5)

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“Because his base is wrestle then Jiu Jitsu, my base is Jiu Jitsu then wrestle, I think it just has a different dynamic when it comes to the grappling aspect,” Ortega told reporters on Wednesday.

“He’s looking for certain things, and I’m looking for other things.”

Ortega (16-4) has 8 submission victories on his record and countless times that he’s used that base to get to his spots and win fights. He doesn’t mind a good old fashioned stand-and-bang bout either.

“I’m a Jiu Jitsu guy, but I’ve always liked to stay on my feet and bang it out. I can’t say the same for him, but I don’t mind getting hit and hitting people,” he said.

So a win over the former UFC bantamweight champion would certainly be welcome on his record. It may even push him into the title picture sooner than later.

“I think a very dominant win would have to be showcased. Even if the best outcome comes right, I get a submission or a knockout, in an impressive fashion. I don’t believe, bases off what I’m seeing on the rankings and how people are moving, that it’s an automatic shoe-in to get a belt or a title run again,” he said.

“If it does happen I’ll take it, but I believe it’s going to be this one and maybe another one and then I can get another shot. I’d have to make another statement, you know?”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Brian Ortega above. He takes on Aljamain Sterling at UFC Shanghai on Saturday.

The post Brian Ortega Says He Needs Two ‘Statement’ Wins To Get Title Shot appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I think a very impressive performance against Brian Ortega puts me in the conversation to challenge for a title,” Sterling told reporters on Wednesday.

“Or at least one fight away.”

Sterling (24-5) faces Ortega a fellow grappling specialist well versed in Jiu Jitsu. It’ll be the base that Sterling will use his high-level wrestling against.

“I would imagine I’m probably going to be looking for my openings for a takedown before he will be. I guess depending on how that goes, how he reacts, if I can get him down relatively easy. If I gotta fight for it maybe we just keep it standing,” he said.

“But if I get it relatively easy then I think the fans get what they want. They get to see two high-level grapplers go at it.”

Regardless of how this fight goes there’s a possibility we see this rematch later on in a different format. The UFC recently launched UFC BJJ signing some of the best talent on the planet in the art of grappling.

Could we see Sterling vs. Ortega 2 in UFC BJJ? Apparently another promotion already asked.

“It’s funny. Karate Combat actually offered me that match and I said hey I don’t know what’s happening right now, but there’s a good chance that he could be a potential opponent,” said Sterling.

“I’m going to say we probably shouldn’t grapple right now just in case they actually offer the matchup. A week later they did.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Aljamain Sterling above. He faces Brian Ortega at UFC Shanghai on Saturday.

The post Aljamain Sterling Says Impressive Win Over Ortega Gets Him In Title Picture appeared first on Cageside Press.

Comeback of the Year 2024

Eddie Law: Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez. A rematch from a bout two years prior Brian Ortega looked to avenge his loss to Yair Rodriguez at UFC Mexico City this past February. The first round saw Rodriguez putting it on Ortega and scoring a knockdown almost finishing the fight. Ortega’s heart showed as he survived the first round and then took Rodriguez down in the third to finish the fight by submission.

Jay Anderson: Neil Magny putting away a tiring Mike Malott in the third round at UFC 297, after Malott had dominated the first 14 minutes of the fight. I was in the building for this one, expecting Malott to soon be backstage speaking with media. Pretty sure the entire media room was expecting that, only for the tables to be turned in the final minute, as Magny had just enough left in him for some ground n’ pound to serve up the TKO finish.

Gabriel Gonzalez: Renato Moicano vs Jalin Turner. When the physically imposing Turner had the dynamic personality in Moicano down and seemingly out, it appeared as if he was on his way to adding to the festivities at UFC 300. In the end, however, Turner celebrating too early led to Moicano rallying back and adding to an all-time great comeback at a night full of seminal moments at UFC 300.  Were there other dramatic comebacks in 2024, yes. But only one had the distinction of happening on a historic night.

Bryson Hester: Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez II. Narrowly beating out Esteban Ribovics vs. Daniel Zellhuber, is the Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez rematch. The first one ended with a dislocated shoulder for Ortega. Before the fight even started, during introductions Ortega rolled his ankle on his landing from a warmup jump. Yair dropped Ortega early on in the fight too. But Brian clawed his way back in the fight locking in an arm triangle choke in the third round of a fight that had multiple moments where he looked like he was going to lose.

Patrick McCorry: Poirier v Saint Denis- The comeback nature of the KO was incredible. Dustin went from attempting yet another Guillotine, after a very tough first round, to putting the polarizing Frenchman to sleep.

Cade Morehouse: Comeback of the year in a fight was Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez when Ortega hurt his ankle jumping up and down before the fight! He was stunned in the fight a few times trying to get feeling back in his ankle, but proceeded to ultimately get his opponent down. Ortega went on to finish the fight by submission even after it seemed nothing was going his way the night!

Brett Cagle: Brian Ortega Submits Yair Rodriguez. Coming into his rematch with Yair Rodrigez some questioned whether Brain Ortega could still compete with the top fighters at 145-pounds. After appearing to have injured himself in his pre-fight walkout, Ortega overcame an early first-round knockdown. In the third round, Ortega was able to get his revenge finding an Arm Triangle, forcing Rodriguez to tap. This was a redeeming win and resilient performance in the storied career of Brain Ortega. 

Mathis Desjardins: Neil Magny def. Mike Malott [UFC 297]. Mike Malott came in as a heavy betting favourite, expected to soundly defeat Neil Magny via superior grappling and enter the rankings. And for about 14 minutes he was doing just that. He comfortably won the first two rounds and all he had to do was survive the third against a Magny who is not exactly known for his finishing prowess. After an incomprehensible implosion from Malott, the savvy veteran Magny got a dominant position and started to relentlessly fire away ground-and-pound shots, forcing the referee to stop the fight with just 15 seconds left. A stunning comeback from the old-timer.

End result: Neil Magny earned a couple of votes, but ultimately, Brian Ortega overcoming adversity against Yair Rodriguez gets the nod!

The post MMA 2024 Year in Review: Comeback of the Year appeared first on Cageside Press.

Sean O’Malley

Challenger Merab Dvalishvili cruised to a dominant, grappling laced, unanimous decision victory in UFC 306’s main event over Sean O’Malley. This was just the second loss of O’Malley’s 20 fight pro MMA career. Sean was riding a seven-fight unbeaten streak since losing to Marlon Vera in mid 2020.

After taking a dominant loss like that it’s clear that O’Malley does not need an immediate rematch with Merab. Instead, he should look to build himself back up by fighting a fresh face high up in the rankings. Merab entered the fight as the #1 ranked UFC bantamweight while obviously O’Malley was the reigning champ.

O’Malley should fight another striker in Cory Sandhagen. Cory is ranked a #4 in the UFC’s bantamweight division and was last in action against Umar Nurmagomedov in August. The unanimous decision loss snapped a three-fight winning streak which spawned from an unsuccessful attempt at the vacant 135lbs title. (Opposite of Petr Yan in 2021.)

O’Malley’s next fight: Cory Sandhagen

Alexa Grasso

Valentina Shevchenko was able to implement her gameplan to the fullest extent in a one-sided unanimous decision victory in order recapture the belt from Alexa Grasso. With the result of the trilogy bout, Grasso and Shevchenko are now 1-1-1 against each other.

Shevchenko entered the bout as the #3 ranked women’s bantamweight while Grasso was not only the champ but ranked as the #1 pound-for-pound women’s fighter in the UFC. Obviously, with the TUF season and fighting each other three times, it’s time for a fresh matchup for Grasso as she has not thought about anyone but Shevchenko in nearly two years.

A good next fight for Alexa and keeping with the theme of rematches, would be a fight against Maycee Barber. Maycee is currently the #4 ranked women’s flyweight and is on a six-fight win streak since losing to Alexa in February of 2021. Barber’s last time out was a unaimous decision victory against Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299 in March. Most recently, she withdrew from a fight with Rose Namajunas in July.

Grasso’s next fight: Maycee Barber

Brian Ortega

Diego Lopes beat down Brian Ortega over the course of 15 minutes to win a unanimous decision fight on Saturday. A couple of times throughout the bout, Ortega looked like he was seconds away from being finished but was ultimately able to hang in there as he somehow always does.

Ortega entered the fight ranked at #3, while Diego Lopes entered the fight as the #13 ranked UFC featherweight.

Depending on how soon Ortega would like to get back into the octagon, a good matchup could be Giga Chikadze. Giga last fought in July, losing a unanimous decision to Arnold Allen. He’s won just one of his last two fights dating back to January of 2022 and he’s currently the #10 ranked featherweight. A good fight to determine who really deserves to be in the top 10 at 145lbs.

Ortega’s next fight: Giga Chikadze

Daniel Zellhuber

Daniel Zellhuber lost a split decision to Esteban Ribovics in what was an edge of your seat, back-and-forth type of fight, on Saturday. The fight ended up winning fight of the night honors and rightfully so, as both fighters put up nonstop offense and were able to survive getting hurt or stunned multiple times.

Zellhuber is now 3-2 with the UFC, losing on Saturday for the first time since his UFC debut in 2022 opposite of Trey Ogden. With just five appearances in the UFC, and three performance bonuses, it’s clear that Daniel is on the right track.

Chase Hooper would be a good next fight for Zellhuber. Hooper is on a three-fight win streak since moving up to the lightweight division in May of 2023. Two of the fights ended with submissions including his last time out, when he submitted Viacheslav Borshchev with a d’arce in the second round, back in May. Great striker vs grappler matchup of Contender Series alums.

Zellhuber’s next fight: Chase Hooper

Ode Osbourne

Ode Osbourne lost a tough to stomach, unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Ronaldo Rodriguez to open the UFC 306 main card. Osbourne had his moments especially in the beginning of the fight, but was ultimately out grappled, as his opponent was able to claw his way back.

Osbourne is now in a very tricky spot. Now 4-6 with the UFC, he is now on a 3-fight losing streak and has lost four of his last five. Osbourne’s last win was a split decision victory over Charles Johnson in February of 2023.

Ode’s next fight should be against Jimmy Flick. Jimmy has won just one of four fights since his mini retirement ended spanning from 2020-2023. Flick has a loss agaisnt Charles Johnson in that time who is a common opponent between the two. Jimmy was last in action back in June when he lost a unanimous decision to Nate Maness.

Osbourne’s next fight: Jimmy Flick

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