UFC Fight Night: Preview and suggested bets for Brandon Moreno vs Lone’er Kavanagh and more
Former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno takes on rising English talent Lone’er Kavanagh at UFC Fight Night in Mexico City on Saturday, February 28.
The UFC returns to Mexico for the eighth time in its history and the first time since March last year, only this time under somewhat precarious circumstances, writes Sports News Blitz’s Finn Littlewood.
Speaking ahead of the fight, Moreno said he hopes the event brings his country something to smile about amid an intense war between the cartel and police.
It has been a few weeks since my last UFC predictions, my apologies, but this headline event is one to be excited for.
Let’s pick some fights, shall we?
Edgar Chairez vs Felipe Bunes
Law student turned mixed martial artist, Mexican Edgar Chairez continues his trend of fighting at events in Mexico.
Coming off a victory by way of submission last time out, the 30-year-old will be searching for back-to-back wins in the organisation, this time against Felipe Bunes.
Bunes is somewhat of a new face in the UFC, boasting an unthreatening record of 1-2 in his time.
Although he was defeated by current flyweight champ Joshua Van on his debut, Bunes bounced back in his next fight with a victory, but he is once again aiming to recover from a loss.
I’m backing the hometown fighter to take the victory here.
Suggested bet: Edgar Chairez to win
READ MORE: MMA news: Tatsuro Taira gets title shot against Joshua Van over Manel Kape
Daniel Zellhuber vs King Green
A tantalising lightweight bout is in the offing as we have yet another Mexican stepping into the octagon.
Zellhuber has impressed in the UFC since joining in 2021, despite a loss in his previous fight to Michael Johnson.
Nicknamed ‘Golden Boy’, the 26-year-old is looking to get the job done against a veteran of the UFC.
King Green, perhaps better known as Bobby Green, will try to stop yet another up-and-comer in their tracks in what will be his 29th fight in the UFC.
As another favourite of mine, I am going to have to back the old-timer here.
Suggested bet: King Green to win
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Marlon Vera vs David Martinez
Another long-time presence in the UFC is Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera, who is looking to bounce back from three-straight losses and matches up against an undefeated fighter in David Martinez.
It seems the title loss against Sean O’Malley has sent the Ecuadorian reeling into a losing habit, yet his quality cannot be denied.
Despite only being the fourth fight of his UFC career, Martinez has been creating noise as he looks to extend his winning streak and break into the top 10 of the bantamweight rankings.
‘Chito’ is another fighter I love watching, but like always, I cannot bet against an undefeated fighter.
Suggested bet: David Martinez to win by TKO
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Brandon Moreno vs Lone’er Kavanagh
Spearheading this UFC Mexico event is two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, who looks to avenge his loss to Tatsuro Taira with a quick turnaround from his last bout in December.
Having previously scheduled to fight Asu Almabayev, Moreno now faces the challenge of a hungry, unranked fighter in Kavanagh.
The Englishman quickly drew attention to himself as he entered the UFC, winning all three of his first fights.
Despite a TKO loss to Charles Johnson in August last year, this is a golden chance for the 26-year-old to make his mark on the flyweight division by defeating a fighter of Moreno’s calibre.
The stakes are high, with Moreno looking to write his own comeback storyline while Kavanagh seeks to pounce on the golden opportunity that this fight presents him.
I am backing the British fighter to get the job done here – it’s only right.
Suggested bet: Lone’er Kavanagh to win
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