Kavanagh Stuns Moreno in Mexico

The victory for Lone'er Kavanagh came via a unanimous decision, with the judges scoring the bout 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47. This marked Kavanagh's first main event in the UFC, a high-pressure spot he took on less than a month's notice. Kavanagh stepped in as a late replacement for Asu Almabayev, who had to withdraw from the February 28, 2026, fight in Mexico City due to a hand injury. The 26-year-old from London was unranked before the bout and was coming off the first loss of his professional career, a knockout defeat to Charles Johnson in August 2025. This loss marks a significant downturn for Brandon Moreno, who has now suffered two consecutive defeats. His previous fight was a second-round TKO loss to Tatsuro Taira in December 2025, which was the first stoppage loss of his career. The former two-time champion now holds a record of 2-3 in his last five fights. The fight was Moreno's eighth time competing in his home country of Mexico and his sixth time headlining a UFC card. Despite his experience and the support of the home crowd at Arena CDMX, he was out-struck by Kavanagh, who landed 152 strikes to Moreno's 120. With this win, Kavanagh, who entered the fight with a 2-1 UFC record, is expected to skyrocket into the flyweight rankings. Analysts suggest his next opponent could be a top-10 contender like Brandon Royval or Alex Perez to test if he is ready for a title shot. For Moreno, the path back to title contention is now more complicated. Potential next matchups could include a rematch with Kai Kara-France or a bout with another ranked flyweight like Tim Elliott as he looks to rebound from this setback.