Despite ongoing violence between cartel gangs and armed forces in west-central Mexico, Dana White and Co. successfully held the year’s first card in Mexico City with UFC Fight Night 268. While the card did not carry much hype, the night proved pivotal for both main event winner Lone’er Kavanagh and co-main event star ‘Doctor’ Martinez. The two fighters saw a significant jump in their respective divisions. 

After Asu Almabayev pulled out of the event due to an injury, Lone’er Kavanagh replaced him to put on a striking Muay Thai display that dismantled former champion Brandon Moreno and sent him to the hospital. As a result, the Chinese-English star jumps into the official rankings of the flyweight division.

“Lone’er Kavanagh returns to the official flyweight rankings in the No. 6 spot following his massive #UFCMexico win… Joseph Morales departs the list in the latest update,” wrote American MMA journalist John Morgan on X.

This win over Moreno holds great importance for Lone’er Kavanagh. Interestingly, back in February, he had left the rankings because of Joseph Morales, and now the reverse effect has occurred. Kavanagh’s victory came against a former champion who had previously defeated opponents like Deiveson Figueiredo, Kai Kara-France, and Steve Erceg.

Things have turned tough for UFC veteran Moreno, who has now suffered consecutive defeats. Consequently, he drops to the No. 7 spot, tied with Amir Albazi. This has not been the right place for Moreno since he lost his title to former champion Alexandre Pantoja in 2023.

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This shows that if Brandon Moreno does not take measurable steps in his next couple of fights, the 32-year-old could fall out of the top 10. On the other hand, Lone’er Kavanagh looks poised for success.

If he wins against ranked opponents in his next fights, he could challenge champion Joshua Van for the flyweight title. The bantamweight division also saw some movement. Co-main event fighter David ‘Doctor’ Martinez now stands at No. 9 with the win, while his opponent, Marlon Vera, moves down to the 10th spot.

During the co-main event, Martinez outworked the former bantamweight title challenger with powerful strikes. However, when Vera struck back, he still failed to secure enough points to earn a win on the judges’ scorecards. Despite David Martinez’s striking performance, Lone’er Kavanagh ultimately won the hearts of fans, analysts, and even Jon Jones.

Jon Jones hails Lone’er Kavanagh during FaceTime post UFC Mexico

Heading into UFC Mexico, Lone’er Kavanagh stepped in on short notice to face Brandon Moreno. Surprisingly, few expected the Brit to dominate the fight, stunning Mexican analysts, experts, and fans alike. Even in the straight five-round non-title bout against the former champion, Kavanagh impressed despite the late notice.

The Brit took home the $100K performance bonus, but the biggest reward came from Jon Jones, who praised the Brit’s striking and Muay Thai skills and also commended his coaches. In fact, Jones even called Kavanagh via FaceTime.

“Congratulations… Your Muay Thai is beautiful…,” said Jon Jones via FaceTime. “Your kicks—they don’t show at all. They have no telegraph… Good job, fellas… Good job, fellas. Good job,” said Jon Jones during the FaceTime, which UFC AusNz recently posted on their official handle.

As Lone’er Kavanagh climbs the division rankings and sets his sights on challenging champion Joshua Van, many fans now wonder if his striking skills can actually match Van, who, notably, set the record as the youngest fighter in UFC history to land 1,000 significant strikes. So, share your thoughts below.