Former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno returns to action on December 12 in Las Vegas. The Mexican fighter takes on Charles Johnson in the flyweight division. The fight takes place in the T-Mobile Arena at UFC 335.
Multiple sources have confirmed the matchup to Heavy.com after an initial report by MMA Fighting. Both men discussed a potential matchup on social media a couple of weeks ago. Moreno is ranked number eight in the UFC Media rankings and number nine in the UFC Meta rankings. Meanwhile, Johnson is ranked only in the UFC Meta rankings, at number 14.
Former Champion
Brandon Moreno recently picked up an important win over Joseph Morales during Noche UFC earlier this month. The Mexican fighter sat on a two-fight losing streak and was in desperate need of a win to keep the top of the division in sight. After three rounds, he edged out a split-decision win over Morales. The now 32-year-old fighter has to defend his ranking again when he takes on Charles Johnson at UFC 335. After already capturing the flyweight title twice, Moreno is looking to make another run at the gold. A win against Johnson is necessary to get a step up in competition again.
For Johnson, it is a big step up in competition. In the UFC Media rankings, unranked Johnson’s UFC career has been a real-life rollercoaster. The American fighter started his UFC run with two wins and four losses. In his seventh fight for the promotion, he took on undefeated Azat Maksum. Johnson won, as a big underdog, via unanimous decision. He went on to win another three fights, including a knockout win over current champion Joshua Van. Johnson fought twice last year. After losing to Ramazan Temirov, Johnson bounced back in a big way with a knockout win over the talented Lone’er Kavanagh.
Very Active In 2026
Johnson hoped to ride the momentum in 2026 but was stopped by Alex Perez in their match-up in January. Johnson, known for his activity, came back two months later to beat Bruno Silva by split decision. Unfortunately for Johnson, he lost by Suloev Stretch submission against Asu Almabayev in his next fight. In his most recent fight, he pulled off a rare Scottish Twister in his fight against Eduardo Chapolin. Now he gets rewarded with a fight against former champion Brandon Moreno.
UFC 335 – December 12 (Las Vegas)
- Brandon Moreno vs. Charles Johnson
Former Champion Returns at UFC 335 in Las Vegas