“Assassin Baby” will still headline UFC Mexico — just not against the opponent anyone expected. After Asu Almabayev was forced to withdraw from his scheduled main event showdown against former two-time Flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, UFC officials scrambled to find a replacement. It didn’t take long. No. 15-ranked Lone’er Kavanagh has agreed to step in […]
“Assassin Baby” will still headline UFC Mexico — just not against the opponent anyone expected.
After Asu Almabayev was forced to withdraw from his scheduled main event showdown against former two-time Flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, UFC officials scrambled to find a replacement. It didn’t take long. No. 15-ranked Lone’er Kavanagh has agreed to step in on short notice to face Moreno on Feb. 28, 2026, inside Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico.
Reporter Al Zullino was the first to report the news.
Kavanagh (9-1) enters the biggest fight of his life coming off the first loss of his professional career. The 26-year-old was knocked out by Charles Johnson in the second round at UFC Shanghai, halting his early momentum inside the Octagon (watch highlights).
Before that setback, Kavanagh earned his UFC contract on Season 8 of Contender Series and followed it up with two gritty wins over Jose Ochoa and Felipe dos Santos. He currently sits at 2-1 in the promotion and was originally booked to face Bruno Silva at UFC Vegas 114 — a fight that has now been scrapped due to the late-notice call-up.
Moreno (23-9-2), meanwhile, will look to rebound after suffering the first stoppage loss of his storied UFC career just two months ago. “Assassin Baby” was stopped by surging contender Tatsuro Taira at UFC 323 (watch highlights), snapping a two-fight win streak that included victories over Amir Albazi and Steve Erceg
UFC Mexico will mark Moreno’s fifth career UFC main event and another opportunity to deliver in front of his home crowd. While he’s just 1-2-1 competing in Mexico City, the former champion has historically risen to the occasion when the spotlight is brightest.
With a new headliner officially locked in, here’s how UFC Mexico currently shapes up:
Brandon Moreno vs. Lone’er Kavanagh
David Martinez vs. Marlon Vera
Daniel Zellhuber vs. King Green
Macy Chiasson vs. Ailin Perez
Damian Pinas vs. Wesley Schultz
Ryan Gandra vs. Jose Medina
Felipe Bunes vs. Edgar Chairez
Kevin Borjas vs. Imanol Rodriguez
Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Javier Reyes
Francis Marshall vs. Erik Silva
Santiago Luna vs. Angel Pacheco
Kris Moutinho vs. Cristian Quinonez
Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Sofia Montenegro
To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.
Category: General Sports
