Lone’er Kavanagh has the opportunity to play spoiler in a big way in Mexico City.
Former two-time UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno needed an opponent after his original opponent, Asu Almabayev, withdrew due to injury. The promotion was seemingly willing to do anything to keep Moreno (23-9-2 MMA, 11-6-2 UFC) in the headlining spot, and Kavanagh (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) stepped up for the huge opportunity.
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“Brandon’s a legend, and he seems like a nice guy as well,” Kavanagh told MMA Junkie. “For me, it’s just when these opportunities come, you take them, and this is what I want. These are the moments. Ilive for, so I’m excited for it.”
Kavanagh only has three fights in the promotion, and is entering his first main event after a stoppage loss against Charles Johnson. It was the first loss of his pro career, but he seems undeterred by it, even though he’s days away from facing a massive step-up in competition. The 26-year-old says it was simply a chance that he couldn’t pass up, and his team agreed.
“For me, it’s like, I trust my team, you know?” Kavanagh said. “I trust my team with everything. So, whatever they say, I do – and this is an opportunity you don’t turn down.”
There are plenty of things working against Kavanagh coming in to this fight. He’s facing Moreno in his home country’s soil, where he is incredibly popular. It’s his first five-round fight under the UFC’s lights, and it’s in Mexico City, where elevation will have a significant effect on cardio. However, the short-notice nature of the matchup may just be the key for Kavanagh to not get into his own head about everything else.
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“Obviously, all these come into a factor, but for me, it’s about just making myself as good as I can, and to better myself in every way,” Kavanagh said. “I feel like I’ve done that throughout this whole fight camp – feel like I’ve done that since my last fight. So, I’m just excited now to show what I can do.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Lone’er Kavanagh embracing spoiler opportunity at UFC Mexico City
