Lone’er Kavanagh def. Brandon Moreno via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)

Six months after suffering the first loss of his professional career, Lone’er Kavanagh delivered a career-defining rebound, outworking former two-time champion Brandon Moreno to a unanimous decision win in the five-round main event of UFC Fight Night Mexico City on Saturday night at Arena CDMX.

Kavanagh (10-1), who stepped in on short notice after Asu Almabayev withdrew due to injury, earned scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47 in a composed and dominant performance. Kavanagh entered the fight with questions surrounding him after a knockout loss to Charles Johnson last August, but he answered them emphatically under the brightest lights of his career.

Moreno (23-10-2) began the fight aggressively, pressuring forward with his trademark overhand right and sharp hooks. Kavanagh responded with discipline and precision, using tight boxing, stabbing front kicks and spinning back kicks to manage distance and disrupt the former champion’s rhythm. The momentum swung decisively in Round 2, when Kavanagh landed a counter combination that badly wobbled Moreno and shifted control of the fight.

As the fight progressed, Moreno leaned heavily on clinch work and fence pressure, grinding Kavanagh against the cage and landing knees and short elbows in the middle rounds. Despite the physical toll and the altitude in Mexico City, Kavanagh remained dangerous, chopping at Moreno’s lead leg, sneaking in clean counters and consistently stuffing all eight of Moreno’s takedown attempts.

Kavanagh’s kickboxing pedigree proved to be the difference. The 26-year-old slid in and out of the pocket with efficiency, repeatedly rocking Moreno early and leaving him bloodied and visibly compromised by calf kicks. Though Moreno found moments of success by slowing the fight down, he struggled to generate sustained offense or meaningful damage.

By the championship rounds, Kavanagh continued to land the cleaner strikes and control the optics of the fight, even as long stretches played out along the fence. When the final horn sounded, the outcome felt more decisive than the scorecards suggested, with Moreno limping and marked up from the cumulative damage.

The win moves Kavanagh to 3-1 in the UFC and firmly into the flyweight division’s Top 10 conversation, marking a statement comeback from his first professional setback. Moreno, meanwhile, drops his second straight fight and falls to 2-4 in his last six appearances, facing questions about his path back to title contention.

UFC Mexico City: Moreno vs Kavanagh Results

• Lone’er Kavanagh def. Brandon Moreno via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
• David Martinez def. Marlon Vera via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• King Green def. Daniel Zellhuber via second-round knockout (punches)
• Edgar Chairez def. Felipe Bunes via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Imanol Rodriguez def. Kevin Borjas via second-round TKO (punches)
• Santiago Luna def. Angel Pacheco via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Ryan Gandra def. Jose Daniel Medina via first-round TKO (strikes)
• Ailin Perez def. Macy Chiasson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Cristian Quiñonez def. Kris Moutinho via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Javier Reyes def. Douglas Silva de Andrade via first-round TKO (strikes)
• Regina Tarin def. Ernesta Kareckaité via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Francis Marshall def. Erik Silva via first-round submission (rear-naked choke)
• Damian Pinas def. Wes Schultz via first-round TKO (strikes)