Unanimous decision victory propels Kavanagh up rankings
Kavanagh's leg kicks controlled the fight
Kavanagh improves to 10-1 in professional career
📖 Full Retelling
British fighter Lone'er Kavanagh delivered the biggest upset of his career by defeating former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno via unanimous decision in Mexico City, accepting the fight on just three weeks' notice after his original opponent withdrew due to injury. The 26-year-old Kavanagh, who was unranked heading into the contest, secured victory with scorecards of 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47 in front of Moreno's home crowd, a result that will propel him toward the top of the division. Kavanagh, who suffered his first career loss just last month against Charles Johnson, showcased remarkable composure against the more experienced fighter, controlling the action with precise leg kicks and a punishing striking attack that ultimately earned him the most significant victory of his professional career. 'I said before this fight - I live for legendary moments,' said Kavanagh following the bout. '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.'
🏷️ Themes
Upset victory, Short notice replacement, Career milestone
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, itself a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The largest MMA promotion in the world, the UFC has over 578 f...
Mexico City
is the capital and largest city of Mexico, as well as the most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and financial centers in the world, and is classified as an Alpha world city according to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) 20...
Brandon Moreno Carrillo (born December 7, 1993) is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two-time UFC Flyweight Champion and the first Mexican fighter to win a UFC championship. A...
'Legendary moment' - Kavanagh upsets ex-champion Moreno By Paul Battison BBC Sport Journalist Published 2 hours ago Britain's Lone'er Kavanagh claimed the biggest win of his career as he upset former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno in Mexico City. Kavanagh, who took the fight on just three weeks' notice, delivered a mature display to win by unanimous decision 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47. Kavanagh, 26, was unranked heading into the contest, but victory over sixth-ranked Moreno - in front of the Mexican's home fans - will see him him take a big leap towards the top end of the division. "I said before this fight - I live for legendary moments," said Kavanagh. "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." Kavanagh took the fight against two-time flyweight champion Moreno when his original opponent Asu Almabayev withdrew because of injury. The Briton came into the contest after the first defeat of his 11-fight career against Charles Johnson in August, but took control in the early stages against Moreno. Kavanagh kept Moreno at bay with a series of leg kicks, before hurting him with a flurry of punches midway through the second round. Moreno had more success in the third round, but Kavanagh regained control with more thudding leg kicks, before seeing out victory by defending a number of takedowns. The win was the 10th of Kavanagh's 11-fight career, while Moreno suffered a fourth defeat in his past six fights. Related topics Mixed Martial Arts MMA schedule and results 2026 Published 4 days ago Watch every Born to Brawl episode Published 28 April 2024 More MMA from the BBC Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport Published 16 August 2025
