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Lone’er Kavanagh | Sometimes You’ve Got to Jump
Surging Flyweight Contender Lone'er Kavanagh Talks Moreno Win Ahead Of Matchup With Former Title Challenger Brandon Royval At UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2
Generally speaking, fighters don’t typically go from suffering their first professional loss to headlining against a former champion in consecutive showings; at least not when that initial setback comes relatively early in their UFC journey as it did for Lone’er Kavanagh.
But that’s exactly what happened for the 27-year-old British flyweight earlier this year, who returns on Saturday at UFC 329 against the perennial contender and former title challenger Brandon Royval, thanks to an early morning phone call and a willingness to take risks.
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“It was a surreal experience,” Kavanagh said of headlining in Mexico City opposite Brandon Moreno, an opportunity that came his way after top-10 mainstay Asu Almabayev was forced out with an injury. “I get a call three weeks out, 6:30 in the morning from my manager, my coach that never calls me at this time basically saying, ‘We’ve got Brandon Moreno, three weeks’ notice; do we want it or not?’
“After a bit of talking, we’re like, ‘Let’s go for it!’ and now I’m here!
“Obviously, the emotions go up and down, but I literally remember – I’m a God-fearing man and I prayed the night before, just saying thank you for every opportunity that gets presented my way, and literally the next morning, I get this call with the biggest opportunity of my life,” he added with a smile.
“It’s like God’s gone, ‘Alright — you want an opportunity? Have that!’ I couldn’t say no; I just had to trust in that, and trust that I have an amazing team behind me, and it paid off.”
The performance was one of the best of the year and the best of Kavanagh's career, who came out of the gates sharp and quick, taking the fight to the former two-time flyweight champion, immediately establishing himself on equal footing with the more experienced Moreno.
As the fight progressed, Moreno worked his way into things, but the GBTT product stood his ground, continuing to flash the swift, dynamic striking that made him a highly regarded prospect during his Cage Warriors days and upon arriving in the UFC.
What elevated the performance even more was how starkly different it was from his previous outing — a loss to veteran Charles Johnson, the first of his career.
That night in Shanghai, Kavanagh won the first round on all three scorecards; but the opening five minutes were a grind, with Johnson looking to clinch and utilizing his movement, forcing the Dana White’s Contender Series grad to spend more time tracking him down than anything else.
In the second, Kavanagh leaned into the grappling, chasing a pair of guillotine chokes early in the round and initiating entanglements of his own, prematurely depleting his energy reserves.
As Kavanagh slowed, Johnson ramped things up, taking the fight to the unbeaten flyweight and drawing him into more exchanges. Late in the frame, as Kavanagh exited with his hands down, Johnson connected flush and ended the fight.
Lone'er Kavanagh's Journey To The Octagon | UFC 329
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Lone'er Kavanagh's Journey To The Octagon | UFC 329
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“Losing is never fun, but at the end of the day, you win or you learn, and it was a lesson that I needed to learn,” Kavanagh said. “It’s a tough lesson to learn, but we learn it and we’re gonna continue to learn from it.”
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The combination of the two fights — the loss to Johnson and the short-notice triumph in Mexico City — reiterated to Kavanagh something that has been a key tenet of his approach to fighting all along:
“You’ve got to live for the legendary moments,” he said with a smile when asked to reflect on the lessons learned from one outing to the next. “Any opportunity that comes your way, you’ve got to take it.
“You can try to coast things, but it’s never gonna go well; you’ve just got to jump sometimes.”
After venturing to Mexico City in February, this week brings Kavanagh back to where his UFC journey got underway.
Kavanagh was the first athlete to earn a victory on the eighth iteration of the Contender Series, kicking off the season with a blistering knockout of fellow unbeaten prospect An Tuan Ho that immediately secured his place on the roster.
But three of his first four appearances inside the Octagon sent him abroad with another coming at home in London, resulting in this weekend being his first business trip back to the ‘Fight Capitol of the World’ since earning his contract.
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“It’s slightly nostalgic, you know?” Kavanagh said of returning to Las Vegas. “It’s nice seeing everything and actually being here on a massive card is insane. I’m just very grateful for it.”
Not only does this weekend’s return to action come on a massive card, but Kavanagh is again stationed on the main card, in a crucial matchup with the top-5 fixture in Royval.
Since debuting in the spring of 2020, the 33-year-old Colorado native has only faced ranked competitors, and before falling at the hands of Manel Kape last December, had only been beaten by fighters who have held the flyweight title. Although he enters on a two-fight skid, “Raw Dawg” is still very much a major threat in the 125-pound weight class, which is why this fight carries such high value for the ascending Kavanagh.
“I have the utmost respect for him, and I’ve said it before, ‘To be the best, you’ve got to fight the best,’ and he’s been at the top,” he said, paraphrasing Ric Flair. “He’s fought the cream of the crop for a very long time, so it’s a fight we wanted and it’s a fight that I’m looking forward to.
“It means everything,” Kavanagh said of getting his hand raised. “Every win means everything, but on such a big card, against a tough opponent, it means the world.”
And while there are forever ambitions of ending things in spectacular fashion, the thoughtful rising star always likes to keep things in perspective.
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“Oh…” Kavanagh said, pausing to find an answer when asked how he defines success this weekend. “I’m always looking for a finish, so getting a finish would be nice, but just enjoying every moment of it.
“I get to do this stuff and that’s the main thing people forget,” he added. “I love my life, so come away with a win and just keep the momentum going, hopefully get that title soon.”
UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2 took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 11, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!