BRIT Lone’er Kavanagh is in the hunt for the UFC’s flyweight title after a stunning return to the win column against former champion Brandon Moreno.
The Londoner, 26, scored the biggest win of his career on enemy territory in Mexico City early on Sunday morning with a unanimous decision victory over the fan favourite.
Lone’er Kavanagh locked horns with former champion Brandon Moreno in the main event of UFC MexicoCredit: Getty
The 26-year-old put on a striking clinic against the fan favourite to earn the biggest win of his careerCredit: Getty
Kavanagh, who entered the Mexican standoff UNRANKED and on the back of his first-ever loss, put the entire 125lbs division on notice by picking apart Tijuana titan Moreno for five straight rounds.
And his sights are now firmly set on becoming only the fourth Brit to win a title in ‘s top promotion.
He said: “I want to become a champion and I want to be the best fighter that I can possibly be.
“And I hope that this win, this victory over Brandon, solidifies that and proves people wrong.”
He added: “I said before this fight [that] I live for legendary moments.
“This is a legendary moment. Brandon is a legend.
“A two-time world champ. I’m a big fan. I watched him when I was a kid. To get to fight him is amazing.”
Kavanagh’s stock as one of the hottest prospects in MMA dropped massively after a brutal second-round KO loss to Charles Johnson last August.
Lone’eer Kavanagh bloodied the former champion in their Mexican standoffCredit: REUTERS
But the GB Top Team standout refused to let the defeat derail his dream of winning gold, saying: “A loss doesn’t define you, and I feel like I proved that tonight.”
Kavanagh will likely find his name sitting pretty in the top five of the stacked flyweight rankings later this week.
But he won’t sit idly by and wait for the UFC to chart the course of the 125lbs title after champion Joshua Van’s maiden defence of the belt against Tatsuro Taira next month.
He said: “I want to stay active. Obviously, I’m going to have to take a bit of time off to rest up and heal up.
“But I want to stay active, I want at least two more fights this year.”
Lone’er Kavanagh is now a bonafide flyweight title contenderCredit: SHUTTERSTCK
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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