Lone'er Kavanagh played the ultimate spoiler in Saturday's UFC Mexico main event. Despite entering on short notice as a sizable underdog, Kavanagh walked away with a stunning unanimous decision win (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) over former two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno in the Arena CDMX in Mexico City.
Kavanagh (10-1) entered the fight on the heels of his first career loss — a vicious knockout to Charles Johnson last August. The result gave viewers little faith in the Englishman, who stepped in following the injury withdrawal of original headliner Asu Almabayev. Instead, Kavanagh was sharp as a tack, performing better than ever under the brightest lights.
Moreno (23-10-2) started strong, cracking Kavanagh with a clean, consistent overhand right along with sharp left hooks while pressing forward. Kavanagh answered with tight boxing in close, stabbing front kicks and a spinning back kick to keep the former champion honest.
But the fight flipped in Round 2. Kavanagh detonated a blistering counter combination that badly wobbled Moreno and nearly stole the show. The underdog continued to keep Moreno at bay in the bout’s biggest moment, mixing in calf kicks and crisp straight shots.
Moreno responded the way veteran former champions do. He ramped up the pressure in the third, repeatedly landing his overhand right and forcing clinch exchanges along the fence. From there, the fight turned gritty — Moreno shot consistently, grinding Kavanagh against the cage and landing knees to the thigh and short elbows inside.
But Kavanagh stayed dangerous, targeting the leg, sneaking in hooks and punctuating exchanges with spinning back kicks. And though his output slowed as Moreno’s forward march dictated the terms, it ultimately wasn't enough, with little damage coming Kavanagh's way.
The Englishman can now expect to be a fresh player among the UFC's flyweight top five.
On the other hand, Moreno finds himself in unfamiliar waters, struggling to regain the momentum he had as a champion after dropping to 2-4 in his last six bouts.
In the evening's co-main event, one-time UFC title challenger Marlon "Chito" Vera (23-12-1) failed to snap his worst career slump, dropping a unanimous decision to rising bantamweight prospect David Martinez (14-1). Martinez found himself on the back foot for most of the fight, but his speed and volume were the difference-makers, which have been a typical kryptonite for Vera in recent years.
In the bonus department, Regina Tarin and Ernesta Kareckaite earned Fight of the Night for their undercard battle, while Kavanagh and Imanol Rodriguez nabbed Performance of the Night checks.
Check out full UFC Mexico results and highlights below, as well as Uncrowned's play-by-play of the final three fights of the night.
Flyweight: Lone'er Kavanagh def. Brandon Moreno via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
Bantamweight: David Martinez def. Marlon Vera via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Lightweight: King Green def. Daniel Zellhuber via TKO (punches) at 4:55 of R2 | Watch finish
Flyweight: Edgar Chairez def. Felipe Bunes via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Flyweight: Imanol Rodriguez def. Kevin Borjas via TKO (punches) at 4:21 of R2 | Watch finish
Bantamweight: Santiago Luna def. Angel Pacheco via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Middleweight: Ryan Gandra def. Jose Daniel Medina via KO (punches) at 0:41 of R1 | Watch finish
Women's bantamweight: Ailin Perez def. Macy Chiasson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bantamweight: Cristian Quinonez def. Kris Moutinho via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Featherweight: Javier Reyes def. Douglas Silva de Andrade via TKO (punches) at 4:59 of R1 | Watch finish
Women's 130-pound catchweight: Regina Tarin def. Ernesta Kareckaite via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Featherweight: Francis Marshall def. Erik Silva via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:29 of R1 | Watch finish
Middleweight: Damian Pinas def. Wes Schultz via TKO (punch) at 2:30 of R1 | Watch finish
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- Sat, February 28, 2026 at 8:38 PM PSTDrake RiggsKavanagh targets the leg before Moreno dives in on another single-leg attempt to initiate the clinch position. This time, Herb Dean breaks up the position. Kavanagh starts to land his right hook and inside low kick. He kicks up high. A flying knee feint from Kavanagh is met with another single-leg attempt. Moreno gets closer to securing a trip, but Kavanagh defends well, slowly losing his balance. Kavanagh manages to break, connecting an elbow behind the ear. He fires off a teep before eating an overhand right. Kavanagh hits the double-jab. Moreno absorbs a teep. Kavanagh gets tied up against the cage once more. Moreno lands a knee and elbow in tight. A late whizzer from Kavanagh breaks the position, followed by a spinning back kick to the body to end the fight.10-9 Kavanagh. (49-46 Kavanagh.)
- Sat, February 28, 2026 at 8:33 PM PSTDrake RiggsKavanagh appears to be slowing down, as Moreno continues to pressure, punching his way into a double-leg attempt. They lock up. Knees from Moreno land to the inside of Kavanagh's thigh. This position has lasted way longer than the referee should be allowing. They break, and Kavanagh hurts Moreno with some calf kicks. He's moving away from his hurt leg now. Kavanagh sneaks a left hook over Moreno's guard. Moreno lunges in, clipping his left hook to the forehead of Kavanagh. Moreno shoots in on another failed single-leg, returning to their clinch position. Kavanagh eats a hard elbow on the break before sending back a nice spinning back kick to Moreno's guard. Time expires.10-9 Kavanagh. (39-37 Kavanagh.)
- Sat, February 28, 2026 at 8:27 PM PSTDrake RiggsKavanagh gets right back to jabbing. He takes a right straight down the pipe. Moreno applies the pressure, landing another big overhand right. He follows it with a left hook. They trade jabs. Moreno swings, landing a quick combo. Kavanagh fires back with one of his own. He's starting to take that Moreno right overhand more. Kavanagh rattles off a good one-two. Moreno decides to shoot in for the takedown. They tie up against the fence. Moreno gets to the back, but doesn't get Kavanagh down. Kavanagh starts to take knees to the back of the thigh before he adjusts position and they break. Moreno takes another teep. He fires off the right hand, landing clean. Kavanagh teeps Moreno back. The right lands again for Moreno. Kavanagh gets tied up against the fence again, taking more knees.10-9 Moreno. (29-28 Kavanagh.)
- Sat, February 28, 2026 at 8:20 PM PSTDrake RiggsKavanagh kicks up the middle before they start trading jabs. Moreno lands a clean right down the pipe. Kavanagh connects with a clean, crisp boxing combo. A heavy right hand comes Kavanagh's way. Kavanagh chops the inside leg of Moreno. Damn. Kavanagh hit the front kick up the middle again. Moreno runs in with an inside low kick, eating a hard punch in the process. Moreno absorbs a body kick and then lunges in with a hard overhand. They exchange a handful of punches. Jabs land for each. Kavanagh circles on the backfoot, jabbing to keep his distance. A big counter combo lands that wobbles Moreno! He's unloading! Moreno is hurt! Wow. Insane effort in Round 2 from Kavanagh. He attacks the leg. Moreno jabs back. Kavanagh is staying patient, making sure not to waste his energy. He absorbs a leg kick. A one-two sneaks through for Kavanagh. He starts to get jabbed in succession, maybe four in a row. Moreno lands a left to the chest. Moreno connects with a teep to the body before time expires.10-9 Kavanagh. (20-18 Kavanagh.)
- Sat, February 28, 2026 at 8:14 PM PSTDrake RiggsAn early straight left off balances Kavanagh mid-low kick. Kavanagh seeks tight shots when in close, while Moreno is extending a bit. Moreno gets caught with a left hook in tight. Kavanagh chops low. Moreno starts to punch his way in, finding his range before landing a jab. Kavanagh kicks to the body. Moreno connects with a clean overhand right and bursts in with a flurry. Kavanagh spinning back kicks successfully, but slips on the way out. A nice looping left hook connects for Moreno, then another. A one-two finds its mark for Kavanagh before a front kick. A long outward left from Moreno lands. Kavanagh checks Moreno nicely with a left hook. He's hanging in this fight early. A solid start for the underdog.10-9 Kavanagh.
- Sat, February 28, 2026 at 7:57 PM PSTDrake RiggsMEXICO CITY, MEXICO - FEBRUARY 27: Brandon Moreno (L) and Lone'er Kavanagh (R) face off during the UFC Fight Night official weigh-in, at the Intercontinental hotel, in Mexico City, Mexico on February 27, 2026. (Photo by Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Anadolu via Getty Images)The argument for the unranked Kavanagh getting this fight is that most of the top contenders were booked or had already fought Moreno recently. Nonetheless, the pairing remains as illogical as ever.Oddsmakers are also showing little respect for Moreno, despite him still being slotted as a comfortable favorite here. "The Assassin Baby" heads into the fight less than three months after a stunning TKO defeat to Tatsuro Taira in December. Meanwhile, Kavanagh was knocked out by Charles Johnson in August.You know what I always say, folks: There are levels to this.Moreno, 32, maintained his sharp striking prowess throughout the Taira fight until its conclusion. Taira's superior grappling was the X-factor, nullifying the Mexican's traditionally sensational scrambling ability. However, that's just Taira. The dude does that to everyone and has yet to be matched in that department.Seeing Kavanagh get put away by a striker of Johnson's caliber is majorly concerning in a matchup like this. That's no knock on Johnson, who is solid enough. Moreno has just been around the block and done this dance with the elite of the elite, either putting them away or hanging in wars. His distance kicks will set up his boxing, and any grappling offense from Kavanagh should be defended with relative ease.This is your patented old-school, short-notice, throwaway main event — and an expected walk in the park for Moreno.Pick: Moreno
- Sat, February 28, 2026 at 7:52 PM PSTDrake RiggsIt's been a rough stretch for Vera.
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- Sat, February 28, 2026 at 7:44 PM PSTDrake RiggsVera immediately comes forward. He's searching for hooks without cutting off Martinez. A nice body hook and head shot follows for Martinez. Another takedown attempt fails from Martinez. He's just making Vera think at this point, circling on his bike. Martinez keeps jabbing off the backfoot. They tangle up briefly, only for Martinez to jab some more. Vera tries to land his, but can't quite reach the mark. Vera starts running right into Martinez's jab. Martinez gets rattled by a quick combo, one of the few Vera has found. They clinch, jockeying for position. Vera's jab starts to land, as Martinez wobbles late. He may be gassing. Vera lands a right over the ear of Martinez. A hard teep connects to Martinez. This feels like classic too little too late for Vera. Another big right hook lands, and the body kick. He's attacking late. A right straight lands, and they start to throw. Time expires.10-9 Vera. (29-28 Martinez.)
- Sat, February 28, 2026 at 7:37 PM PSTDrake RiggsMartinez attacks the leg out of the gate. Those have to be taking their toll. He presses with a pair of teeps. A clean overhand right lands for Martinez before a hard inside low kick. Vera fires back with a left of his own. He gets ripped to the body with hard hooks. Martinez punches up high, delivering a good one-two. He goes for that head kick again, landing a hard straight right behind it. Vera is hunting without success. A one-two lands again for Martinez. His jab is really starting to land frequently. Vera sneaks his left hand behind Martinez's ear before he's tripped off another kick. They land in full guard with Martinez on top, similar to the last round. Vera scrambles to his feet to eat more jabs. He presses forward, looking to land anything he can. A good shovel left hook lands for Vera, as he continues pressuring. Martinez backs him up with a teep and single-leg attempt. Round ends.10-9 Martinez. (20-18 Martinez.)
- Sat, February 28, 2026 at 7:31 PM PSTDrake RiggsMartinez coils up early before unleashing a quick, fast left hand and hard low kick. He sends another Vera's way before taking a teep. Martinez goes high with the kick, it's blocked, but lands on the guard. Vera takes a hard hook to the body, then the head. Martinez chops at the legs. More body work finds its home from Martinez in a heavy punch and a kick. Vera connects with a short Superman punch before taking a hard counter hook. Martinez continues to set up the high kick. A nice uppercut lands for Martinez before another combo and teep kick. Vera is doing his best to find his distance. He throws teeps before a high kick, getting tripped in the process. Martinez follows him down, throwing punches and nearly getting caught in a triangle choke. He lands some big punches in the waning seconds. Strong start for Martinez.10-9 Martinez.
- Sat, February 28, 2026 at 7:15 PM PSTDrake RiggsMEXICO CITY, MEXICO - FEBRUARY 27: (L-R) Marlon Vera of Ecuador and David Martinez of Mexico face off during the UFC Fight Night official weigh-in at InterContinental Mexico City on February 27, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) (Jeff Bottari via Getty Images)This is one of those classic crossroads fights. Vera is still relatively dangerous yet durable as ever. His kicks and elbows carry venom, and they always sting when the fight drifts into chaos. But “Chito” is as notorious of a a slow-starter as they come, often giving away early rounds while waiting for openings that may never come.Martínez, meanwhile, is riding momentum and fighting like a man who knows he's nearing another launchpad moment. He’s faster, sharper at range, and far more urgent from the opening bell. The biggest question is whether he can maintain that pace for three rounds without getting dragged into Vera’s grinding, attritional style. Putting away the Ecuadorian has been impossible in his career.Ultimately, the time is now for Martínez, and the bantamweight division has seemingly passed Vera by.Pick: Martínez
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Kavanagh targets the leg before Moreno dives in on another single-leg attempt to initiate the clinch position. This time, Herb Dean breaks up the position. Kavanagh starts to land his right hook and inside low kick. He kicks up high. A flying knee feint from Kavanagh is met with another single-leg attempt. Moreno gets closer to securing a trip, but Kavanagh defends well, slowly losing his balance. Kavanagh manages to break, connecting an elbow behind the ear. He fires off a teep before eating an overhand right. Kavanagh hits the double-jab. Moreno absorbs a teep. Kavanagh gets tied up against the cage once more. Moreno lands a knee and elbow in tight. A late whizzer from Kavanagh breaks the position, followed by a spinning back kick to the body to end the fight.
Sat, February 28, 2026 at 8:33 PM PST
Kavanagh appears to be slowing down, as Moreno continues to pressure, punching his way into a double-leg attempt. They lock up. Knees from Moreno land to the inside of Kavanagh's thigh. This position has lasted way longer than the referee should be allowing. They break, and Kavanagh hurts Moreno with some calf kicks. He's moving away from his hurt leg now. Kavanagh sneaks a left hook over Moreno's guard. Moreno lunges in, clipping his left hook to the forehead of Kavanagh. Moreno shoots in on another failed single-leg, returning to their clinch position. Kavanagh eats a hard elbow on the break before sending back a nice spinning back kick to Moreno's guard. Time expires.
Sat, February 28, 2026 at 8:27 PM PST
Kavanagh gets right back to jabbing. He takes a right straight down the pipe. Moreno applies the pressure, landing another big overhand right. He follows it with a left hook. They trade jabs. Moreno swings, landing a quick combo. Kavanagh fires back with one of his own. He's starting to take that Moreno right overhand more. Kavanagh rattles off a good one-two. Moreno decides to shoot in for the takedown. They tie up against the fence. Moreno gets to the back, but doesn't get Kavanagh down. Kavanagh starts to take knees to the back of the thigh before he adjusts position and they break. Moreno takes another teep. He fires off the right hand, landing clean. Kavanagh teeps Moreno back. The right lands again for Moreno. Kavanagh gets tied up against the fence again, taking more knees.
Sat, February 28, 2026 at 8:20 PM PST
Kavanagh kicks up the middle before they start trading jabs. Moreno lands a clean right down the pipe. Kavanagh connects with a clean, crisp boxing combo. A heavy right hand comes Kavanagh's way. Kavanagh chops the inside leg of Moreno. Damn. Kavanagh hit the front kick up the middle again. Moreno runs in with an inside low kick, eating a hard punch in the process. Moreno absorbs a body kick and then lunges in with a hard overhand. They exchange a handful of punches. Jabs land for each. Kavanagh circles on the backfoot, jabbing to keep his distance. A big counter combo lands that wobbles Moreno! He's unloading! Moreno is hurt! Wow. Insane effort in Round 2 from Kavanagh. He attacks the leg. Moreno jabs back. Kavanagh is staying patient, making sure not to waste his energy. He absorbs a leg kick. A one-two sneaks through for Kavanagh. He starts to get jabbed in succession, maybe four in a row. Moreno lands a left to the chest. Moreno connects with a teep to the body before time expires.
Sat, February 28, 2026 at 8:14 PM PST
An early straight left off balances Kavanagh mid-low kick. Kavanagh seeks tight shots when in close, while Moreno is extending a bit. Moreno gets caught with a left hook in tight. Kavanagh chops low. Moreno starts to punch his way in, finding his range before landing a jab. Kavanagh kicks to the body. Moreno connects with a clean overhand right and bursts in with a flurry. Kavanagh spinning back kicks successfully, but slips on the way out. A nice looping left hook connects for Moreno, then another. A one-two finds its mark for Kavanagh before a front kick. A long outward left from Moreno lands. Kavanagh checks Moreno nicely with a left hook. He's hanging in this fight early. A solid start for the underdog.
Sat, February 28, 2026 at 7:57 PM PST
