A pair of blue chip flyweight prospects faced off on the UFC Macau prelims, as Lone’er Kavanagh took on Jose Ochoa.
Peru’s Ochoa was a perfect 7-0 (1NC) entering the UFC, though he’d been largely untested in his brief professional career. Kavanagh held a 7-0 record of his own, and had come to the UFC via Cage Warriors and Dana White’s Contender Series, where he defeated another hot flyweight, An Ho, care of a devastating knockout.
This battle of undefeated fighters started off at a high pace from the opening bell. Kavanagh pressured forward throwing dangerous combinations at Ochoa, who looked to counterstrike at distance early. Briefly, a groin strike halted the action but Ochoa was able to continue. A right hand left hook from Kavanagh got Ochoa’s attention snapping his head back. Both of these competitor’s were highly skilled and showed their potential throughout the fight. Kavanagh was the busier fighter in round one jumping ahead in the beginning stages of the fight.
Ochoa came out with a renewed sense of urgency in round two looking to even the fight. Utilizing his kicking game Ochoa threatened a front kick and damaging low leg kicks. Midway through the round, Ochoa landed a beautiful body punch that momentarily hurt Kavanagh. After two rounds, there was a strong possibility the fight was even at one round a piece.
The third round was also highly competitive, but Kavanagh showed an uptick in volume. Ochoa slowed down in the third round, allowing Kavanagh to pressure him to the fence and showcase his elite striking skills. The total strikes in this fight were virtually identical with Ochoa out landing Kavanagh 59-51. Neither fighter landed a takedown over 15 minutes. The judges saw this contest in favor of Kavanagh with scores of 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28. Fight fans will have their eyes on both of these intriguing Flyweight prospects moving forward.
Official Result: Lone’er Kavanagh def. Jose Ochoa by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
