Lone'er Kavanagh was just six years old when a phone call from his mother shattered his world. Pausing his gymnastics class, he learned his father had suffered a heart attack and was in critical condition. By the time he reached the hospital, his father was gone.
"It was hard because I'd spoken to him on the phone the morning before," Kavanagh recalls. "Not having a father figure is tough. That's why I have so much respect for my mum—she had to do both roles."
Now 26, the British flyweight credits his mother as the driving force behind his rise in the UFC. Her maiden name is Chinese, and his first name, Lone'er, translates to "Dragon Son." Kavanagh admits he began mixing with the wrong crowd as a kid, so his mum pushed him into martial arts to instill discipline.
"A lot of what I do now is because of my mum. She's a scary five-foot Asian lady, very strict, but I needed it," he says. "MMA filled the void of lacking male role models. My team—Ash Grimshaw, Ashkaw, Brad Pickett—I look up to them."
Last month, Kavanagh secured the biggest win of his 11-fight career by defeating former two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno in Mexico City, stepping in on just three weeks' notice. The unanimous decision victory shot him to No. 6 in the UFC flyweight rankings, putting a title shot within reach.
"One of my biggest motivations is to support my mum. She gave everything for me when she had nothing. I want to give back," Kavanagh says. "I want to be champion, to be the best version of myself."
After the win, he received congratulations from rapper Tinie Tempah and former UFC champ Israel Adesanya. But the most memorable call came from Jon Jones, the former light-heavyweight and heavyweight champion, who praised Kavanagh's kicks.
"He called me to say he liked my kicks. That was surreal," Kavanagh says. "I know my dad's up there watching, keeping me safe, and he's always with me."