Lone'er Kavanagh Wants Back in the Title Picture, and Temirov Is in the Way

Lone'er Kavanagh's year has gone up and down quickly. He was unranked when he beat former champion Brandon Moreno in Mexico City. In July he lost to Brandon Royval by submission, a fight that won fight of the night. Now he has Ramazonbek Temirov at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, and he thinks a win puts him right back in the flyweight title race.

"I think a win there puts me right back up there," Kavanagh told ESPN. "He's a dangerous opponent. He's got some good wins under him, a lot of wins."

That's putting it mildly. Temirov (20-3) is unbeaten in the UFC and has won 12 fights in a row. Kavanagh (10-2) knows what's coming. "He throws big shots, he throws wild shots. He's constantly [moving] forwards. He likes to stand and bang," he said. "His main weapons are his heavy hands, and that excites me."

It's the British fighter's second straight numbered card. The Royval fight was in Las Vegas on the night Conor McGregor came back against Max Holloway, and he's still getting used to the attention. "I've gone from watching Embedded to actually being in it," he said.

He says he'll be looking for a finish. Against a puncher like Temirov, that could go either way, which is exactly why a win would count for so much.