UFC’s eighth visit to Mexico looked to be in jeopardy after Asu Almabayev pulled out of the fight due to an arm injury. Left without an opponent, fans began to wonder what would happen to Brandon Moreno, with speculation growing around a possible cancellation. However, with just over 20 days left on the calendar, a surging prospect appears to have answered the call, stepping in to save the UFC Mexico headliner. 

According to reports, the No. 15-ranked flyweight contender Lone’er Kavanagh will step in to replace the injured Asu Almabayev to face the former flyweight champ, Brandon Moreno, on February 28. 

Brandon Moreno vs Lone’er Kavanagh reportedly set for UFC Mexico headliner 

According to BJ Penn.com, MMA journalist Al Zullino was the first to confirm that the 26-year-old will face the former champ in the main event at the Arena CDMX. That’s a serious jump in competition, fighting a guy ten spots ahead of you, but the UFC has yet to officially announce the bout.

While Brandon Moreno vs Asu Almabayev looked more appealing on paper based on the rankings, a former champion taking on a young, hungry contender in his hometown just hits different. That matchup alone feels like guaranteed entertainment for the Mexican crowd and people watching at home. Even so, Moreno seems to have an edge here.   

Before facing a contentious TKO loss against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 323, Moreno was on a two-fight winning streak. And for a moment, it looked like ‘The Assassin Baby’ would fight for the title if not for that upset. So, although it was a setback in momentum, the Mexican definitely hasn’t hit the lowest point of his career yet.

On the other side, Lone’er Kavanagh has climbed quickly in the flyweight division. He picked up two UFC wins after earning his contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024, flashing serious upside along the way. However, the Chinese-British prospect stumbled in his last bout against Charles Johnson at UFC Fight Night Shanghai. His first professional setback could play a big role for anyone looking to place their bets ahead of February 28.  

Now, as Moreno is up against a dangerous challenge and would have to work hard to get a victory, there’s one big question. Would picking up a win against a #15-ranked fighter really mean anything for the former champ?   

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Will ‘The Assassin Baby’ earn another shot at gold by defeating Kavanagh?

After losing the flyweight championship to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290, Brandon Moreno has been in a relentless pursuit to get the title back. The former Mexican champ managed to put himself back on track with crucial wins over Amir Albazi and Steve Erceg, but that momentum came to a halt when the Japanese sensation submitted him at UFC 323.

It was a rough loss, and Moreno quickly looked to get himself back into title contention by targeting a fight with the #7-ranked Asu Almabayev. But even if the Mexican ends up beating the #15-ranked Kavanagh at UFC Mexico, his title aspirations would still need more work.

Yes, a win over a short-notice contender would be a solid showing, but to truly get closer to another title shot, he would likely need to beat at least two more ranked opponents. With no clear timeline on when Almabayev is going to return, Moreno could look forward to facing the winner of Kyoji Horiguchi vs Amir Albazi, which is set for UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira this weekend.

A showdown against the Japanese veteran would be a fresh fight for the former champ. But ‘The Assassin Baby’ shouldn’t shy away from rematches either, as a fight against Brandon Royval could be the closest step toward another title opportunity. There’s also always the looming matchup with Manel Kape, though it’s hard to say whether the Portuguese contender would accept anything other than a title fight.

That said, before all of that comes into play, Brandon Moreno needs to get the job done on February 28 in Mexico to open the path toward a future title run. Can he actually do it? Let us know in the comments section below.