Credit: Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC

Former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno will return at the final major event of 2026 against a dangerous contender.

UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van defeated Alexandre Pantoja for the second time in less than a year last month at UFC 331. In an instant classic, Van defeated Pantoja by unanimous decision to retain the flyweight title.

As Van prepares for a likely showdown with top contender Manel Kape, several top-tier contenders are making their way up the rankings. Former UFC titleholder Brandon Moreno, who defeated Joseph Morales earlier this year at Noche UFC 4, is looking to get back into the title mix after recent struggles.

After a nice bounceback win earlier this year, Moreno will face the only fighter to knock out the reigning champion Van in his UFC return.

Brandon Moreno vs. Charles Johnson added to UFC 335

Moreno will reportedly face surging contender Charles Johnson at UFC 335 in December. The matchup was first reported by MMA Fighting.

As of this writing, the promotion hasn’t announced a main event booking for UFC 335 in Las Vegas.

Johnson returned to the win column by defeating Eduardo Henrique by twister submission at UFC 330. He bounced back after a third-round submission loss to Asu Almabayev in June at UFC Baku.

Johnson handed Van his first career knockout loss in July 2024 at UFC Denver. At the time of the fight, Van was unbeaten in the UFC with three straight wins to kick off his promotional tenure.

Before defeating Morales, Moreno lost back-to-back fights to Tatsuro Taira and Lone’er Kavanagh. Now, Moreno has the opportunity to get back into the title mix with an impressive performance against Johnson.

The full UFC 335 fight lineup is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Former two-division champion Alex Pereira could return at UFC 335, as hinted by UFC CEO Dana White earlier this week.

What is your prediction for Brandon Moreno vs. Charles Johnson? Share your thoughts in the comments!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM