Renato Moicano and Alex Poatan are prominent Brazilian fighters in the UFC. Photo: SUPER LUTAS montage
Marcos Parrumpinha pointed to Alex Poatan as the central figure in the cancellation of the fight between Renato Moicano and Brian Ortega , scheduled for UFC 326. The Brazilian was slated to face the American on the main card of the event, scheduled for March 7th, but saw the fight fall apart after his rival withdrew, officially due to an injury. Behind the scenes, however, the American Top Team coach raised another hypothesis for what happened.
During an appearance on the Overdog Brasil podcast, Parrumpinha mocked the situation and suggested that Ortega had been emotionally affected by the relationship between Alex Poatan and fighter Tracy Cortez , the American athlete's ex-girlfriend. According to the coach, this personal issue impacted Brian's psychological state, culminating in his withdrawal from the fight.
See too
"It's Poatan's fault. Because the guy ( Brian Ortega ) got all worked up, he pulled out of the fight. You understand? He got all worked up over that woman thing, and then everything went to hell, man," said Parrumpinha.
Renato Moicano still doesn't have a defined opponent for UFC 326.
In addition to the provocation, Parrumpinha also commented on Renato Moicano 's current situation after the cancellation. According to him, there is still no confirmed replacement to keep the Brazilian on the UFC 326 card, despite the team's desire to proceed with the fight on the same date.
"Nothing is certain yet... I really wanted to have a guy, someone who already had a signed contract so we could continue on the 7th (UFC 326), but so far there's nothing. I believe that by the end of this week we'll have a decision, but for now, nothing yet," concluded the American Top Team coach.
Alex Poatan and Tracy Cortez's relationship
During the turn of the year from 2025 to 2026, Alex Poatan surprised fans by announcing a new relationship. The light heavyweight champion (up to 93kg) used social media to post a photo alongside fellow fighter Tracy Cortez , publicly confirming the romance.
However, the relationship was short-lived. Just nine days after the announcement, Poatan once again took to Instagram Stories to announce the end of the relationship, putting an end to the involvement that quickly gained prominence among MMA fans.
"Thank you to my fans for all the love. I would like to inform you that although Tracy Cortez and I have shared great moments together, we have decided that it would be best for both of us to go our separate ways. I wish her all the best on her journey," wrote Poatan.
Johnny Walker opens up about his heavyweight debut at UFC 332.
You need to log in to comment.