Lone’er Kavanagh Rises Again with Victory over Brandon Moreno
Following his first professional defeat, English flyweight Lone’er Kavanagh made a spectacular comeback against former UFC champion Brandon Moreno. Kavanagh (10-1) defeated Moreno (23-10-2) by unanimous decision in the five-round main event of UFC Fight Night in Mexico City, with scores of 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47 from the judges. Moreno tried to take Kavanagh against the cage on occasion, but had difficulty generating consistent offense. Kavanagh, for his part, connected significant blows, especially in the early rounds. This victory represents a major step forward for Kavanagh, who suffered a knockout loss to Charles Johnson in August. He accepted Saturday’s main event on short notice, following the injury withdrawal of Asu Almabayev, Moreno’s original opponent. Kavanagh, who was scheduled to fight on March 14 in Las Vegas, did not hesitate to accept the opportunity to face Moreno in Mexico, despite being considered the underdog.“These are the moments I live for, legendary moments,” Kavanagh declared. “This is a legendary moment. Brandon is a legend, two-time champion. I’m a huge fan. I watched him as a kid. Being able to fight against him is incredible.”
Lone’er Kavanagh
Before the fifth round, Kavanagh’s corner informed him that he was dominating the judges’ scorecards. Although he technically won only three rounds against Moreno’s two on the majority of the scorecards, Kavanagh’s victory was more convincing. Moreno ended up with a bloody face and visibly limping from the second round.
Kavanagh, with this victory, improves his record to 3-1 in the UFC. He is part of a talented group of young athletes in the flyweight division, including champion Joshua Van and number one contender Tatsuro Taira. Moreno, for his part, has his second consecutive loss and a record of 2-4 in his last six fights.
