Brandon Moreno will collide with Joseph Morales at UFC Noche
2026. | 📷: Getty/UFC

---

Former
Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight champion Brandon
Moreno will reportedly make his return to the Octagon against
“The Ultimate Fighter 33” winner Joseph
Morales at
Noche UFC on Sept. 12. The bout was first reported by Marcel
Dorff.

The 125-pound clash is expected to take place at Desert Diamond
Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Moreno enters the matchup looking to
halt a two-fight skid after losses to Tatsuro
Taira and Lone'er
Kavanagh in consecutive appearances. Morales, meanwhile, will
have an opportunity to cause a major upset and climb the rankings
in his second UFC stint.

Brandon Moreno will reportedly face Joseph Morales at Noche UFC
on Sept. 12

Moreno (23-10-2) remains one of the most accomplished competitors
in flyweight history. His record features victories over Brandon
Royval, Deiveson
Figueiredo, Kai
Kara-France and Amir Albazi,
among others.

The Fortis
MMA representative has an 11-7-2 UFC record and has earned
seven post-fight bonuses during his tenure in the promotion. This
upcoming bout will Mark
Moreno's first-ever appearance at Noche UFC.

Meanwhile, Morales (14-2) captured “The Ultimate Fighter 33” crown
to re-enter the UFC last year. He went 1-2 in his first stint and
fought in other promotions before winning “TUF 33.” In the first
fight of his second stint, “Bopo” submitted Matt
Schnell in the very first round.

The only other bout slated for the event revealed so far is a
pivotal matchup in the women's flyweight division, pitting former
champion Alexa
Grasso against Manon
Fiorot.

Rapper Machine Gun Kelly's old feud with Conor
McGregor is still simmering after the former
Ultimate Fighting Championship double champ suffered a crushing
defeat at
UFC 329.

MGK referenced his altercation with McGregor at the 2021 MTV Video
Music Awards while mocking the Irishman on social media.

MGK revives his long-running feud with Conor McGregor after the
former UFC champion’s loss to Max Holloway.

MGK, who refrained from publicly commenting on his infamous clash
with McGregor at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards at the time,
ridiculed the fighter after his TKO defeat to Max
Holloway at UFC 329. McGregor’s Octagon return following a
five-year hiatus ended in just 69 seconds as he appeared to suffer
a knee injury while throwing his opening kick against Holloway.

MGK shared a series of photos on Instagram after UFC 329, including
one with McGregor throwing a punch at the musician during the 2021
MTV Video Music Awards.

“Knees weak of old age, the real Conor can't stand up,†he wrote in
the caption of the post.

Acknowledging that he had received backlash for his earlier post,
MGK followed up with another video on social media, saying he had
“absolutely nothing” to apologize for, referencing McGregor's
iconic post-fight line after beating Eddie
Alvarez to become a double champ.

“I'm aware I did a post yesterday, and I should probably apologize
for absolutely nothing, homie,†MGK wrote.

“F*ck this dude; that's how beef works. We don't like each other.
Everyone is saying, ‘Oh, you commented on his age, he's only one
year older than you, [and] about his knees.' Hey, guess what? We
don't age the same. My knees are awesome,†he further added.

MGK concluded by joking that McGregor’s walkout lasted longer than
the fight itself.

Don't expect Jon Jones to ever go one-on-one with Oleksandr Usyk unless an unlikely condition is met.

Jones is considered by many to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time, while Usyk has built his legacy in the boxing world as a future lock for the International Boxing Hall of Fame. “Bones†and Usyk have earned multiple world titles in their respective sports, but could the two ever be standing across each other for a mega fight?

You may not want to hold your breath for it, as Jones was asked by Ring Magazine if a boxing match with Usyk could come to fruition. The former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight titleholder dismissed such a bout unless it was contested under MMA rules.

“No, not at all,†Jones said. “Usyk is Usyk, man. He's one of the absolute GOATs of heavyweight boxing. I also am aware that he does wrestling, and that wrestling has been a heavy part of his training for many years. It's probably why he's so dominant in the clinch. If he'd like to test his total combat skills, I would oblige him in that, but to handicap myself by only using my hands, that's not the world that I come from.

“Out of all the heavyweight boxers, I do see Usyk having the highest potential in making it competitive. I am no boxer, and I don't really consider Usyk to be a complete fighter. I think the world knows what would happen if we were locked in the same room, and I'll just leave it at that.â€

Jones continues to mull over a possible return to the Octagon. He has given different answers on his fighting future depending on the interview. “Bones†has said that he gets fulfillment simply coaching rising heavyweight and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson, but he's also open to a fight offer from the UFC brass.

As for Usyk, he recently stunned boxing fans and pundits by deciding to vacate his heavyweight titles. While Usyk isn't retiring just yet, he relinquished his gold to open the door for other bouts.

Any chance we ever see an MMA fight between Jon Jones and Oleksandr Usyk? Drop your take in the comments below.