Brandon Moreno has a new dance partner in Mexico City, with English flyweight Lone’er Kavanagh stepping in on short notice to headline UFC Fight Night on Feb. 28 at Arena CDMX. The change comes after original opponent Asu Almabayev withdrew, prompting the UFC to pivot quickly to keep Moreno atop the card in front of his home-country crowd.

For Moreno, it’s a high-pressure but familiar assignment: carry an event week, shoulder five-round expectations, and do it with the extra glare that comes with being the first Mexican-born UFC champion. He enters this one looking to reset after a December stoppage loss to Tatsuro Taira, and the matchup shift forces a different kind of preparation—less about long-camp specificity, more about disciplined fundamentals and handling chaos.​

Kavanagh, 26, gets the kind of opportunity that can rewrite a career overnight. The UFC has highlighted his Cage Warriors background and his Contender Series breakthrough (a first-round KO of An Tuan Ho) as the foundation of his fast rise, and now he’s being asked to weaponize that confidence against a proven five-round operator. Even with the compressed timeline, this is the classic short-notice equation: Moreno brings elite experience and pace; Kavanagh brings the volatility—and the freedom—of a fight where few expect him to win.

The show is still scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 28, with prelims at 5 p.m. ET and the main card at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount+.​

Updated UFC Mexico City fight card

Brandon Moreno vs. Lone’er Kavanagh (main event)

Marlon Vera vs. David Martinez​

Daniel Zellhuber vs. Bobby Green​

Macy Chiasson vs. Ailin Perez​

Edgar Chairez vs. Felipe Bunes​

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Imanol Rodriguez vs. Kevin Borjas​

Jose Medina vs. Ryan Gandra​

Wesley Schultz vs. Damian Pinas​

Santiago Luna vs. Angel Pacheco​

Cristian Quinonez vs. Kris Moutinho​

Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Sofia Montenegro​

Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Javier Reyes​

Erik Silva vs. Francis Marshall​