Lone'er Kavanagh

Named the pick as the more technical, cleaner striker over three rounds, with a caveat that a brawl changes the calculus in the opponent's favor.

A solid, very clean striker with good combinations, plenty of power, and a diverse kick arsenal, working his leg kick specifically to accumulation. He darts in and out well and is accurate, though dropping his hands when throwing his heavier shots leaves him open to counters -- a habit that has shown up as far back as his pre-UFC career. Good grappler with good takedowns against the cage specifically, a good back-taker, and a good sprawl, though the analyst rates his grappling below that of at least one fighter who has previously controlled him.

Frames the pick around a clear cardio advantage he expects to show up in the championship rounds.

Kavanagh is a legitimate power striker who mixes solid combinations with a deep kicking arsenal, particularly a leg kick he leans on to grind opponents down over a fight. He's accurate and comfortable countering, and he can also change levels for cage takedowns, back control, and a good sprawl when he wants to wrestle. The recurring issue, flagged going back to his Contender Series days, is that his hands drop whenever he lets heavy combinations go, a habit that finally got him caught in a previous outing and remains unresolved heading into this one.