Athletes
Lone'er Kavanagh: ‘There’s A New Cat In Town’
Dana White’s Contender Series Grad Lone'er Kavanagh Makes UFC Debut Against Jose Ochoa This Saturday At UFC Macau
Few fighters have made as big a splash on Dana White’s Contender Series than flyweight Lone’er Kavanagh.
In the first fight on Season 8, it took the 25-year-old just two minutes and 35 seconds to score a highlight reel knockout over An Tuan Ho, leaving UFC CEO Dana White stunned with his eyes wide, saying, “Holy S***.”
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“Let’s not even play any games here,” White said after the show. “He knows. He saw my paper say holy s***. One of the most vicious knockouts ever in the eight seasons of this show against another guy that was 6-0, undefeated. You already know, kid; you already know you’re in.”
The performance earned Kavanagh a much-deserved UFC contract and a fight against Jose Ochoa when UFC returns to Macau this Saturday for UFC Fight Night: Yan vs Figueiredo.
“It’s been a surreal experience,” Kavanagh said of traveling to Macau for his UFC debut. “I’m not used to traveling abroad to fight, but having the experience from Vegas and stuff like that and competing from a young age, going to different countries, I’ve got a little more experience under my belt now. I know the steps now. It took a while to get used to, but now it feels good.”
Kavanagh has only competed in England or Las Vegas throughout his professional mixed martial arts career, so he arrived early to his first UFC fight week to get acclimated to the weather, time change and to explore Macau.
“Being in Macau, I’ve never actually been here before; it feels very homey, it feels really good,” Kavanagh said. “It feels right.”
Prior to fighting professionally, Kavanagh was studying sports science and working as a personal trainer. He’s used that knowledge to make the right choices throughout his training camp to ensure he arrives at the fight in peak condition.
“I’m not going to act like I know everything about sports science, but from the stuff that I did study, it definitely helps with understanding what goes on behind an athlete, as well as being the athlete,” Kavanagh said. “I like to geek out about the food side of it and the performance side of it.”
This Saturday, he’ll square off against Ochoa, an undefeated prospect also making his promotional debut. All seven of Ochoa’s wins have come by finish (six knockouts, one submission), making him an exciting dance partner for Kavanagh’s debut.
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“All respect to Jose, I think he’s good,” Kavanagh said. “Obviously he’s going to be good, he’s 7-0, but I think I’m better, respectfully. I’m looking forward to seeing how the fight goes Saturday night.
“I think [my Octagon experience] will give me an edge because I know roughly how everything works, which will definitely help. It’s more about staying cool, calm and collected until the fight happens.”
While Kavanagh doesn’t like making predictions for his fights, he told UFC.com during fight week that if a finish comes, it comes, but he’d rather go with the flow than seek out a specific result.
“Having a performance like that is always good,” Kavanagh said. “It does give you confidence, but, I’m always, what’s next. It was a good performance but I’m always looking to do better, so I’ll be looking to do better Saturday night.”
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It’s an exciting time for the UFC flyweight division, especially with former Rizin bantamweight champion Kai Asakura making his Octagon debut in the main event against UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 310. Kavanagh hopes that a dominant performance on Saturday will send a message to the rest of the division—that it’s only a matter of time before he works his way into the rankings.
“There’s a new cat in town,” Kavanagh said. “I think everyone in the division is really good, and I think the division as a whole is really good, but I do think I can work through it. I have the right training, I have the right team around me, so I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”
UFC Fight Night: Yan vs Figueiredo took place live from Galaxy Arena in Macau, China on November 23, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!