Brandon Moreno Meets Charles Johnson at UFC 335

Brandon Moreno has his next fight. The former two-time UFC flyweight champion will face Charles "InnerG" Johnson at UFC 335 on Dec. 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The UFC made it official Monday after MMA Fighting first reported the matchup, and Moreno confirmed it himself.

It will be the third trip to the Octagon in 2026 for "The Assassin Baby," and it lands on the last numbered UFC card of the year. That is a big stage for a flyweight who badly wants to get back into the title picture.

Moreno's up and down year

Moreno (24-10-2 MMA, 12-7-2 UFC) opened 2026 with a February loss to Lone'er Kavanagh that caught a lot of fans off guard. He bounced back at Noche UFC in September, grinding out a split decision over Joseph Morales.

That win steadied things, but it did not exactly scream "next title shot." Moreno sits No. 8 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie flyweight rankings, and a clean, convincing finish in December would do a lot more for his case than another coin-flip decision.

Johnson keeps saying yes

Johnson (20-9 MMA, 9-7 UFC) might be the busiest man on the roster. Dec. 12 will be his fifth fight of 2026, and he is 2-2 so far this year. He has traded wins and losses across his last six outings, but his last one was a highlight. At UFC 330 in August he took an illegal knee, kept fighting, and rallied for a rare twister submission that earned him a Performance of the Night bonus.

He holds the No. 15 spot in the MMA Junkie rankings. For Johnson, a win over a former champ is the kind of name that changes his career overnight. For Moreno, this is a fight he is expected to win, which is exactly what makes it dangerous.

A loaded UFC 335 card

Moreno-Johnson joins a stacked lineup. Charles Oliveira defends the BMF title against Diego Lopes in the main event, with Lopes moving up to 155. Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alex Pereira and Joe Pyfer vs. Bo Nickal have also been reported for the card.

Flyweight fans know what Moreno brings: pressure, cardio and a chin that has been through wars with the best in the division. If he looks like the guy who held the belt twice, the 125-pound picture gets interesting again heading into 2027. If Johnson keeps rolling, Vegas is going to see a new name crash the party.