UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Kavanagh
Brandon Moreno lands a devastating left hook to the chin of Alexandre Pantoja. Credit: Zuffa LLC.
The UFC heads to Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico, with an outstanding Fight Night card. The entire card is packed with exciting matchups and local talent looking to make their name on the biggest stage in MMA. In the co-main event, we’ll see a showdown between crafty veteran Marlon Vera and red-hot prospect David Martínez. In the main event, former Flyweight champion Brandon Moreno will go toe-to-toe with a hungry young upstart in Lone’er Kavanagh. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.
Santiago Luna vs. Angel Pacheco
Santiago Luna clips Quang Le with a stiff left hand. Credit: MMA Mania.
Bantamweight Bout
Santiago Luna: 7-0-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.
Angel Pacheco: 7-3-0, 5 KO/TKO, 2 SUb.
Luna is undefeated and has a UFC victory over Quang Le (9-3-0). He’s a dangerous brawler with big-time power in his hands and outstanding wrestling. A former four-time national wrestling champion in Mexico, he will often shoot early and transitions very quickly on the mat, often reaching full mount with blinding speed. Luna will constantly look to posture up and land ground and pound in top position, and has excellent chokes if he secures his opponent’s back. He fights behind his jab when he’s standing, constantly looking to close the distance and unload power shots inside the pocket. He maintains a heavy pace throughout and has solid cardio, carrying his power throughout the fight and always pursuing a finish. Luna is comfortable anywhere the fight goes and is always willing to eat a shot to land one, remaining dangerous at all times.
Angel Pacheco lands a stinging right hand on Danny Silva. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Pacheco has won three of his last five fights and is looking for his first UFC victory. He’s a gritty scrapper who’s always looking to close the distance and let his hands go. He has very sharp boxing, regularly stringing together extended combinations and constantly mixing in body shots. Pacheco favors volume to power and has had impressive output in his last two fights, landing a combined 285 significant strikes and throwing 743 total strikes. Training with the New England Cartel, he’s always coming forward and is most comfortable inside the pocket, exchanging blows and landing vicious knees and elbows. He’s exceptionally durable and has a granite chin, regularly absorbing damage while closing the distance to work his own offense. Pacheco is most comfortable in a knock-down, drag-out brawl and always puts on a show inside the cage.
Imanol Rodríguez vs. Kevin Borjas
Imanol Rodríguez finishes off Roque Conceição with brutal ground and pound. Credit: MMA Junkie.
Flyweight Bout
Imanol Rodríguez: 6-1-0, 5 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.
Kevin Borjas: 10-4-0, 8 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.
Rodríguez has won four of his last five bouts and is making his UFC debut. He’s a devastating striker with a stout grappling background. He throws every shot with bad intentions and has one-shot knockout power, capable of knocking out opponents at any time, from anywhere. Rodríguez has good distance management and footwork, doing a great job of slipping shots, counterstriking, and moving in and out of the pocket without absorbing damage. He’s comfortable on his feet but has a black belt in Judo, a brown belt in BJJ, and Master of Sport in Sambo, so he’s just as dangerous on the mat and has excellent takedown defense. He’s extremely explosive and fast, never telegraphing his attacks and remaining elusive throughout the fight. Rodríguez has been to only a single decision in his brief professional career and is always looking for a finish, with his last three victories all coming via first-round knockout.
Kevin Borjas blasts Ronaldo Rodríguez with a powerful right hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.
Borjas has won two of his last five outings, holding a UFC victory over Ronaldo Rodríguez (17-3-0). He’s a technical, powerful striker who’s always looking to let his hands go. He fights behind his jab, constantly pumping it out to set up his best shot, a straight right. Borjas has excellent footwork and distance management, rarely throwing kicks but always keeping his opponent on the end of his punches. He’s accurate and throws every shot with power and purpose, varying his attacks well and regularly ending combinations with body shots. Training at Pitbull Martial Arts, he hasn’t landed a takedown in the UFC but has solid reversals and get-ups when taken to the mat. Borjas has secured half of his victories via first-round knockout, but he has solid cardio and remains dangerous at all times.
Édgar Cháirez vs. Felipe Bunes
Édgar Cháirez locks in a tight choke on Daniel Lacerda. Credit: Zuffa LLC.
Flyweight Bout
Édgar Cháirez: 12-6-0, 4 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.
Felipe Bunes: 14-8-0, 2 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.
Cháirez has won two of his last five fights, with one no contest, and holds UFC victories over CJ Vergara (12-7-1) and Daniel Lacerda (11-6-0). He’s a heavy-handed boxer with an outstanding submission game. He throws everything with power and has excellent kicks, especially to the legs. Cháirez throws nearly as many kicks as he does punches, often battering his opponent’s legs and body before letting his hands go and landing big punches. Training at Entram Gym, he has not attempted a takedown in the UFC but is averaging nearly two submissions attempted per fifteen minutes. He’s dangerous off his back and can secure chokes with impressive speed, even while standing. Cháirez is especially dangerous early on and secured both of his UFC victories via first-round submission.
Felipe Bunes slips a left hook from Joshua Van. Credit: MMA Junkie.
Bunes has won three of his last five bouts, with a UFC victory coming over Jose Johnson (16-10-0). He’s a wild scrapper with knockout power and excellent grappling. He has decent head movement and distance management but will regularly throw caution to the wind, attempting spinning kicks or blitzing forward into the pocket to throw bombs. Bunes is averaging over one takedown landed and over two submissions attempted per fifteen minutes, constantly looking to close the distance to either clinch up or secure a takedown. Training with the Pitbull Brothers, he’s always dangerous on the mat, whether on top or off his back, and will immediately pursue submissions once on the ground. Eight of his nine submission victories have come via armbar, and he can snatch up his opponent’s arm with blinding speed. Bunes is always hunting for a finish and pushing a heavy pace, with half of his professional fights ending in the first round.
Daniel Zellhuber vs. King Green
Daniel Zellhuber fires a straight right hand at Esteban Ribovics. Credit: Zuffa LLC.
Lightweight Bout
Daniel Zellhuber: 15-3-0, 7 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.
King Green: 33-17-1, 11 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.
Zellhuber has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Lando Vannata (12-7-2), Francisco Prado (12-4-0), and Christos Giagos (20-12-0). He’s a lengthy striker with excellent boxing, speed, and power. He fights behind his jab, remaining patient and looking for openings to land damaging shots. Zellhuber has solid cardio and will remain technical throughout, pushing a consistent pace and often improving as the fight continues. Training at Xtreme Couture, he has excellent distance management and footwork, typically controlling the center of the cage for most of the fight. He won’t often initiate grappling exchanges, but he has a solid submission game, holding a black belt in BJJ, and has defended 94% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC. Zellhuber is tied for the longest reach among active Lightweights and uses it well, constantly doing damage from range with long punches and kicks.
King Green unloads a heavy left hook on Nasrat Haqparast. Credit: Fight Sports.
Green has won two of his last five fights, holding UFC victories over Grant Dawson (23-3-1), Nasrat Haqparast (18-6-0), and Jim Miller (38-19-0). He is an excellent boxer who picks his opponents apart with quick, heavy hands. He’s rarely in a boring fight, always willing to go to the center of the octagon and exchange blows. Green fights with his hands low, remaining unpredictable and never telegraphing his strikes. He fights behind his jab, keeping his strikes sharp and straight while constantly attacking from different angles and varying his targets. Training at Pinnacle MMA, he’s a solid wrestler and averages over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes, but generally looks to keep the fight standing. Green has been fighting professionally since 2008 and has earned various UFC Lightweight records, including the most significant strikes landed (1864) and the most total strikes landed (2091) all-time.
#9 Marlon Vera vs. David Martínez
Marlon Vera lands a stinging right hand on the chin of Pedro Munhoz. Credit: Zuffa LLC.
Bantamweight Bout
Marlon Vera: 23-11-1, 8 KO/TKO, 10 Sub.
David Martínez: 13-1-0, 10 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.
Vera has won one of his last five bouts and holds UFC victories over #3 ranked Bantamweight Sean O’Malley (19-3-0), #13 ranked Bantamweight Rob Font (22-9-0), and Dominick Cruz (24-4-0). He is an experienced veteran with a diverse striking game and a granite chin. He has an impressive ability to absorb damage and continue forward, absorbing, on average, over 119 significant strikes per fight in his last five outings without a single finish loss. Vera improves as the fight continues, getting increasingly aggressive and precise, particularly with his dangerous clinch striking and kicking game. He stays technical across five rounds and regularly switches stances, holding power in both hands but never telegraphing or loading up. He supplies his opponent with a steady dose of kicks, constantly throwing various attacks with his legs, all with heavy power. Vera has dangerous BJJ and slick submissions, so although he’s most comfortable on his feet, he can produce a finish from anywhere.
David Martínez blasts Rob Font with a thudding right hand. Credit: MMA Junkie.
Martínez is on a nine-fight win streak, holding UFC victories over #13 ranked Bantamweight Rob Font (22-9-0) and Saimon Oliveira (18-7-0). He is a lifelong karate practitioner and utilizes it well, constantly unloading powerful kicks while remaining elusive. He’s in perpetual movement, typically floating along the outside while looking to counterstrike and catch his opponent when they enter the pocket. Martínez favors power to volume, often blitzing forward to unload bombs and kicks, but he remains technical throughout and won’t get sloppy. Training at Bonebreakers MMA, he’s exceptionally quick on his feet and with his hands and varies his attacks well, constantly blasting his opponents with leg kicks when at range. He’s unlikely to initiate grappling exchanges but has shown solid takedown defense and ability in the clinch. Martínez has an impressive arsenal of flashy kicks and will regularly throw them while constantly pursuing a knockout.
#6 Brandon Moreno vs. Lone’er Kavanagh
Brandon Moreno catches Amir Albazi with a right hook. Credit: MMA Mania.
Flyweight Bout
Brandon Moreno: 23-9-2, 5 KO/TKO, 11 Sub.
Lone’er Kavanagh: 9-1-0, 4 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.
Moreno has won two of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #7 ranked Flyweight Amir Albazi (17-3-0), #7 ranked Bantamweight Deiveson Figueiredo (25-6-1), and #11 ranked Flyweight Steve Erceg (13-4-0). He’s an exceptionally well-rounded fighter with fantastic boxing and outstanding grappling. He has a sharp jab and always fights behind it, using it to set up devastating combinations and batter his opponent when they enter striking range. Moreno is willing to throw down in the pocket but always remains composed and accurate, throwing every shot with intent and purpose. He’s taken down three of his last five opponents and has excellent wrestling and control in top position. He has a dangerous arsenal of submissions and can produce quick finishes on the mat. Moreno has fought for gold in six of his last ten fights and has accumulated the most total fight time in UFC Flyweight history (5:15:52).
Lone’er Kavanagh looks to unload ground and pound shots onto Felipe dos Santos. Credit: MMA Junkie.
Kavanagh has won four of his last five fights, with UFC victories coming over Jose Ochoa (8-2-0) and Felipe dos Santos (8-3-0). He’s a lifelong kickboxer with excellent, technical striking and solid grappling. He’s very measured and picks his shots, often looking to draw his opponent into his range so he can land counterstrikes. Kavanagh is very quick and elusive, regularly darting into the pocket to land damage, then returning to range unscathed. Training at Great Britain Top Team, he has great takedowns, capable of landing them in open space or in the clinch, and has solid takedown defense as well. He’s very aggressive in top position, focusing on posturing up and landing ground and pound over improving his position or securing a submission. Kavanagh, although very technical, is willing to hang inside the pocket and exchange blows and can be drawn into brawls.
Best Bets
Imanol Rodríguez by KO/TKO: This is an excellent matchup between two exciting Flyweights. Rodríguez is a very intriguing prospect given his extensive grappling background and dangerous punching power, and I believe he’ll be too much for Borjas to handle. Although Borjas is a solid striker, I don’t believe he can match Rodríguez's power or speed, and he has struggled against power punchers before, such as Alessandro Costa and Joshua Van. I expect Rodríguez to get off to a quick start, coming out guns blazing and putting Borjas on his back foot immediately, not allowing him to establish any kind of striking rhythm. I believe Rodríguez’s biggest advantage in this matchup is on the ground, so I anticipate him doing some damage on the feet before pursuing and securing a takedown. Once in top position, I expect him to take full control of the fight, dominating Borjas and not allowing him to get up while landing vicious ground and pound. If Rodríguez can maintain control on the mat, I believe it will only be a matter of time before he secures an impressive finish via knockout.
Cháirez vs Bunes Under 1.5 Rounds: This is the second of three Flyweight matchups on the main card, and a great one at that. Both of these fighters have proven to be prolific finishers in their career, and are both especially dangerous early on in a fight. In a combined 40 professional fights, they have produced 23 finish victories, with seventeen of those coming by way of submission. Nineteen of their 23 combined finish wins have come in the very first round, and overall, thirty of their combined outings have not gone the distance, with twenty-one total fights ending in round one. I expect this fight to get off to a quick start, with both fighters on the gas pedal immediately and hunting for a finish. Neither man is known for taking his time early or being particularly cautious, so there will be plenty of openings for finishes for both of them. Regardless of who emerges as the victor, I’m confident this fight will end within one and a half rounds.
Brandon Moreno Moneyline: The final of the three exciting main card Flyweight matchups, I’m looking forward to this one. Many fans were surprised to see Kavanagh receive such a high-profile matchup, albeit on short notice, so early in his UFC career, including me. Kavanagh is a lifelong martial artist, but is taking an enormous leap in competition, and is also coming off a devastating knockout loss to fellow unranked Flyweight Charles Johnson. Ultimately, I believe facing a former champion in just his eleventh professional bout is too much, too soon. I expect Moreno to get off to a quick start, fighting behind his jab and staying in boxing range where Kavanagh can’t make effective use of his kicks. As the fight continues, I anticipate Moreno mixing in some takedowns and grappling exchanges, draining Kavanagh’s energy and taking away from his impressive speed. Overall, I believe there will be competitive moments in this fight, but I expect an impressive bounce-back victory for Moreno.
