Lone'er Kavanagh stuns Brandon Moreno in 'legendary moment' at UFC Mexico
lone'er kavanagh upset former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno in Mexico City, taking the fight on just three weeks' notice and earning a unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) — the biggest win of his career.
Lone'er Kavanagh handed Moreno upset in Mexico City
The 26-year-old Brit produced a measured performance in front of Moreno's home fans in Mexico City to secure the victory. Kavanagh, unranked heading into the contest, beat the sixth-ranked Moreno on the judges' cards and notched the 10th win of his 11-fight career.
How the rounds unfolded
Kavanagh took control early by keeping Moreno at bay with a string of leg kicks and then landed a flurry of punches that visibly hurt Moreno midway through the second round. Moreno regained more success in the third, but Kavanagh answered with further thudding leg kicks and defended a number of takedowns to see out the unanimous decision.
Short notice call-up after Asu Almabayev withdrawal
Kavanagh stepped into the bout when his original opponent, Asu Almabayev, withdrew because of injury. The Brit accepted the Mexico City fight with three weeks' notice and did so coming off the first defeat of his 11-fight career — a loss to Charles Johnson in August.
Lone'er Kavanagh on the moment: "I live for legendary moments"
After the win Kavanagh said: "I said before this fight - I live for legendary moments. This is a legendary moment. Brandon is a legend. Two-time world champ. I'm a big fan. I watched him when I was a kid. To get to fight him is amazing. " The quote underlined how significant the upset felt to the 26-year-old.
What this means for Moreno's run
Moreno, the two-time world champion ranked sixth in the division for this bout, suffered his fourth defeat in his past six fights. The loss in front of his home crowd in Mexico City extends a difficult stretch for the former champion.
lone'er kavanagh has now won three of his four UFC fights and recorded his 10th career victory in 11 professional bouts; Moreno's recent slide includes four defeats in six. What comes next is unclear in the provided context.
