Brandon Moreno vs. Asu Almabayev UFC Mexico City headliner canceled, matchmakers seeking short-notice fill

UFC Mexico City took a major hit as Brandon Moreno vs. Asu Almabayev is reportedly canceled after one of the headlining fighters withdrew.

Former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno will have to wait a bit longer for another shot at potentially clinching another title fight.

Moreno and Asu Almabayev were scheduled to square off in the UFC Mexico City main event in March. The fight was booked just weeks after Moreno dropped a controversial TKO defeat to Tatsuro Taira at UFC 323 in December.

Midway through the second round, Taira caught Moreno with several ground punches before the referee stepped in to wave off the fight. Moreno was seen adequately defending himself in the final exchanges, leading to the former champion protesting the stoppage in his first post-fight statement.

As for Almabayev, he’s won back-to-back fights since suffering his first UFC defeat to Manel Kape last March.

Moreno vs. Almabayev was a potential No. 1 contender fight amidst uncertainty to kick off Joshua Van’s title reign. In the meantime, Moreno will have to wait a bit longer for another five-rounder.

Brandon Moreno vs. Asu Almabayev scratched as UFC Mexico headliner

As first reported by Ag.Fight, Almabayev was forced to withdraw from his upcoming fight with Moreno due to undisclosed reasons. It’s uncertain if Moreno will remain on the UFC Mexico City card as matchmakers ponder potential replacement opponents.

Names to watch as potential replacements for Asu Almabayev include Kyoji Horiguchi, Brandon Royval, and No. 2 contender Manel Kape. Kape most recently defeated Royval in the final UFC main event of 2025 at the Apex.

As of this writing, it’s uncertain how long Almabayev will be sidelined and whether or not Moreno will fight in March. In the meantime, the UFC flyweight title picture remains a hot topic as 2026 kicks off.

Who do you want to fill in vs. Brandon Moreno at UFC Mexico City? Comment below!