Lone’er Kavanagh is a Chinese-English MMA fighter, fighting out of GB Top Team and competing in the Cage Warriors Flyweight division.
He is one of the top prospects in his division at the moment and can’t be far off a title shot in Cage Warriors. He fights this weekend at Cage Warriors 169 in London, putting his undefeated 5-0 record on the line against fellow undefeated fighter, Shawn Da Silva, who is 6-0.
Lone’er never shies away from top competition, with all three of his opponents in Cage Warriors being undefeated at the time of fighting him. Here’s why you should be watching him:
Pro Debut: vs Glody Matusiwa
Lone’er made his professional MMA debut on 2 March 2019 at Rise Of Champions 7, taking on another debutant, Glody Matusiwa. Lone’er was much too quick for his opponent and showed complete control in round 1. The round took place mostly on the feet, with Kavanagh using incredible footwork to keep it there. He bounced in, landed his shots fast, and bounced back out again before his opponent could hit him.
In round 2, Lone’er shows off his entertainment factor by blasting a flying knee at his opponent. He misses slightly, but it works as a good transition to show off his wrestling, showcasing his all around Mixed Martial Arts game. Kavanagh racked up nearly 2 minutes of top control time here, before using it to find the finish. He won the fight by TKO via Ground and Pound Elbows in the second round.
vs Daniel Missin
Kavanagh’s second professional fight took place at FightStar Championship 19 on 14 December 2019, where he took on Daniel Missin. This fight gave Kavanagh the first quick finish of his pro career.
Within the first minute of the fight, Lone’er hit his opponent with a solid right hand. This hurt Missin, causing him to shoot a takedown. Immediately, Lone’er snatched up Missin’s neck and jumped on the Guillotine. Once he had it locked up, Missin immediately tapped, handing Kavanagh the submission win, 56 seconds into the first round.
Cage Warriors Debut: vs Ryan Morgan
After a long lay-off, Lone’er’s third professional fight and Cage Warriors debut took place at Cage Warriors 134 on 18 March 2022. Here he faced an, at the time, fellow undefeated fighter in Ryan Morgan. During the first round, Kavanagh made use of his incredible footwork, cutting off the cage and keeping his opponent guessing. He used several brutal calf kicks to disable his opponent’s movement and dominated the round.
In round 2, Kavanagh continued the use of his calf kicks, dropping Morgan late in the round with one. Overall though, Morgan made somewhat of a comeback in this round, landing some solid shots, but particularly a huge right hand which dropped Kavanagh towards the end of the round. However, Kavanagh makes his comeback in round 3, knocking out Morgan early in the round with a slick pull back and one-two counter. One of the cleanest knockouts in Cage Warriors.
vs Ander Sanchez
Lone’er’s fourth professional fight took place at Cage Warriors 141 on 22 July 2022 against another then-undefeated fighter, Ander Sanchez. The first round was mostly back and forth with both fighters landing well, until Kavanagh made a mistake and got caught with a straight right from Sanchez which dropped him. For the remaining minute, Kavanagh had his back taken and was caught in an armbar, which he escaped.
However, Lone’er made a huge comeback in the second round. Midway through the round, Kavanagh had Sanchez hurt using his precise boxing combinations and body kicks. Throughout the round, Kavanagh was also landing damaging calf kicks, two of which swept Sanchez off his feet towards the end of the round.
The third round was slower, but Kavanagh showed complete control of the fight. Using more of his boxing and some incredible distance management, Lone’er managed to make it to the final bell with another win under his belt. Lone’er Kavanagh won the fight via Unanimous Decision, 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27.
vs Davide Scarano
Lone’er Kavanagh’s fifth professional fight took place at Cage Warriors 150 on 17 March 2023. He faced yet another, at the time, fellow undefeated fighter in Davide Scarano. In the first round, Kavanagh muscles his way out of being taken down early, keeping the fight on the feet. He mostly utilised his kicks, using an incredible switch kick to the body and some nasty calf kicks. These calf kicks damaged Scarano’s leg to the point where he was hopping and limping for the later half of the round.
Kavanagh kept up this momentum in the second round, continuing the calf kicks and targeting both legs this time around. He swept Scarano off his feet twice with these kicks during the round. Scarano shot some takedowns out of desperation, but Kavanagh’s takedown defence held up and he managed to keep the fight standing. With 10 seconds left in the round, Lone’er landed a massive straight left hand, dropping Scarano, but it wasn’t enough to finish him.
By the time the third round started, Scarano could barely walk on his damaged legs. However, soon he would be put out of his misery, as about a minute into the round Kavanagh landed a huge spinning back kick right on the chin. He followed this up with a few more shots to get the stoppage and another highlight reel knockout.
Where Is Lone’er Kavanagh Now?
Lone’er Kavanagh has quickly become one of the hottest prospects out of the UK right now. He’s had a one-year layoff since his last fight due to personal issues and opponents falling through, but he’s back this weekend to make a statement at Cage Warriors 169.
It’s undeniable that he can’t be far off of a Cage Warriors title shot with the performances he’s been putting in. With a fight style as clean as his, major promotions like the UFC and PFL must be keeping a close eye on Kavanagh. We’re all looking forward to see where he goes next.
