British flyweight prospect Lone'er Kavanagh has accepted a short-notice main event bout against former two-time champion Brandon Moreno at UFC Fight Night in Mexico City on February 28, 2026. The 26-year-old replaces the injured Asu Almabayev and will make his first five-round appearance at Arena CDMX, facing Moreno in the challenger's homeland. Both fighters aim to rebound from recent losses in the competitive 125-pound division.
Lone'er Kavanagh, a 26-year-old from London who trains at Great Britain Top Team, received an early morning call from coach Ash Grimshaw on February 25, 2026, offering him the opportunity to headline UFC Fight Night against Brandon Moreno. Originally scheduled to fight Bruno Silva on March 14, Kavanagh agreed without hesitation after discussing logistics with his team. "I’m very thankful for the UFC to give me the call," Kavanagh said. "It gives me confidence that they believe in me, as well as my coaches believing in me, and that’s all I need."
This marks Kavanagh's first main event and his debut in a five-round bout, set at an elevation over 7,000 feet in Arena CDMX. Entering with a 9-1 record, he seeks to build on his UFC contract earned via a knockout of An Tuan Ho on Dana White's Contender Series in 2024 and four straight wins in Cage Warriors starting in 2022. His only professional loss came via second-round knockout to Charles Johnson in August 2025. "I care about being the best fighter I can be, and that’s a lesson I needed to learn," Kavanagh reflected on the setback.
Moreno, 32, from Tijuana and based in Las Vegas, headlines in Mexico City for the third consecutive year. The first Mexican-born UFC champion, he won the flyweight title in 2021 and regained it later, but lost it to Alexandre Pantoja in 2023. His most recent fight was a second-round technical knockout loss to Tatsuro Taira at UFC 323 in December 2025, his first stoppage defeat in 34 professional bouts. Previously, Moreno defeated Steve Erceg by unanimous decision in Mexico City last year but lost a split decision to Brandon Royval there in 2024. Currently ranked No. 6, he faces questions about his contention status amid the rise of fighters like Joshua Van, the new champion, and Kyoji Horiguchi.
"I still feel the motivation to do it, and my abilities are enough to be the champion again," Moreno stated. He views the pressure of fighting at home as "a luxury" and plans to stay active in 2026. Kavanagh, unranked and a +175 betting underdog, expressed confidence in his speed, timing, and power, drawing inspiration from Cage Warriors alumni like Conor McGregor and teammate Nathaniel Wood. "Brandon’s been around for a long time—he’s a legend... but I want to do whatever it takes to become champ," Kavanagh said.
