RUMOUR – Lone’er Kavanagh gets Late Notice Opportunity Against Former Champion in Main Event
Lone’er Kavanagh to Step in Against Brandon Moreno for Main Event Rumours have swirled in recent hours that, following an injury to Asu Almabayev, young up and comer, Lone’er Kavanagh will step in to face the former champion, Brandon Moreno. Although nothing is confirmed, a fight between Charles ...
Lone’er Kavanagh to Step in Against Brandon Moreno for Main Event
Rumours have swirled in recent hours that, following an injury to Asu Almabayev, young up and comer, Lone’er Kavanagh will step in to face the former champion, Brandon Moreno.
Although nothing is confirmed, a fight between Charles Johnson and Bruno Silva has been confirmed by Laerte Viana to be going down on March 14th. Silva was originally scheduled to face Lone’er Kavanagh, however, the latter has withdrawn from this fight.
The understanding is that Kavanagh will now face Moreno in the main event of UFC Mexico City on February 28th. The news was first reported by Al Zullino.
Although nothing is official, it appears that this one will go ahead, especially with Charles Johnson replacing Lone’er Kavanagh on March 14th.
As it stands, the former champion, Moreno, is ranked #5 in an exciting flyweight division with Kavanagh coming in at #15. Moreno is 2-3 in his last five fights, however, this run includes a loss in a title fight and a loss to Tatsuro Taira, a man who is potentially next for the title.
The former CageWarriors man, Kavanagh, is 2-1 in the UFC. Having gained a contract on the Contender Series, he impressed on his debut in China against the undefeated Jose Ochoa. The issue many will have with Kavanagh getting a shot at a top-five opponent is that he’s coming off a knockout loss. In August of last year, the Great Britain Top Team prospect took on the experienced Charles Johnson. Although he was winning the fight with relative ease, Johnson caught him, knocking him out in the second round and handing him his first professional loss.
Too much, too soon for Kavanagh?
Lone’er Kavanagh is a top prospect. At just 26 years old, he’s extremely well-rounded, slick on the feet and has space to grow in the sport. With that being said, is it too much too soon? Why rush him into an extremely difficult fight when he’s coming off a loss? It could kill all of his potential.
The Bruno Silva fight made a lot of sense. The Brazilian is extremely experienced, however, when he takes the step to the elite level, he’s fallen short. It would have been a logical, good test for Kavanagh. Instead, he’s been thrown to the lions for his first main event.
There’s also the question of whether there was no one higher-ranked to replace Asu Almabayev? As of yet, the only booked fight within the top 15 is Amir Albazi vs Kyoji Horiguchi. Tim Elliott would have been a logical pick. He’s yet to main event a UFC card, despite being a company man for a number of years. He impressed on his return at UFC 319, choking out Kai Asakura in the second round. His and Moreno’s styles clash well and it’s a fight that would certainly entertain fans.
