'It's all XP' - Lone'er Kavanagh on coming back from Brandon Royval loss ahead of make-or-break UFC 333 bout

Lone'er Kavanagh has opened up about coming back from his recent loss to Brandon Royval and why it is set to make his appearance at UFC 333 even better.

Kavanagh is quickly becoming one of the biggest names in British MMA and, while he suffered a set back last time out, he's explained exactly why fans will still want to tune in to his next fight on Saturday night.

The flyweight star is set to feature late on the main card of UFC 333, headlined by featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, and is threatening to steal the show with a blockbuster bout against Ramazonbek Temirov.

Currently ranked sixth in the UFC's competitive flyweight division, Kavanagh has had a busy year to say the least, stepping in on just three weeks' notice to face former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno in Mexico City.

Despite entering the fight as a massive underdog, Kavanagh pulled off one of the upsets of the year and beat the former two-time champion, who is still widely regarded as one of the top contenders in the division, in his own back yard.

"It was a mental experience, the ups and downs and emotions, it's crazy, but that's exactly what I'm here to do. I'm here to live," Kavanagh told SPORTbible in an exclusive interview.

"I want legendary moments. I want to live things that people don't necessarily get the chance to experience. And, I want to be able to look back when I'm older and grey and be like 'Cool, yeah, I did some cool s*** growing up!'”

Coming off the back of the win, Kavanagh attracted interest from some of the biggest names in the UFC's history, with Jon Jones calling in just minutes after the win to compliment his kickboxing.

A few months later, the 27-year-old shared a moment backstage with Ilia Topuria after the former featherweight and lightweight champion labelled Kavanagh as a 'problem' for his peers during a public shout out on Joe Rogan's podcast.

But the momentum all seemed to come to a sudden halt when Kavanagh suffered a loss to Brandon Royval at UFC 329.

However, as he gears up for his next fight just three months later, the flyweight star isn't willing to let a loss to one of the best in the division stop him from appreciating his meteoric rise in 2025.

“The experiences that I've had this year are insane. I mean, the fact that I’m so far up a Conor McGregor card and got fight of the night, it's awesome.

"Obviously the fight didn't go the way I wanted it to, but it's things that you need to learn and take away from.

"Loads of different things, but the main thing is just decision making, making the right decisions at the right time. And at the end of the day,, it's all XP, right? So that's something that I needed to go through.”

Lone'er Kavanagh eyes up big finish at UFC 333

Next up, Kavanagh faces Temirov, a frightening streak on a 12-fight win streak and is unbeaten since joining the UFC in October 2024.

But, the Englishman is relishing in the chance to get things back on track and re-announce himself as a serious title challenger, and he's chasing a big finish.

"I'm here to stay active, I'm here to keep climbing up, so I'm very thankful for the quick turnaround after the Royval fight," he said.

"It's an exciting fight. He (Temirov) comes to throw big shots, comes to apply pressure, and I think that works well for me. I think it's going to be an exciting one to watch.

'I'm always looking to get better at every performance, and I'm always coming for finishes, and that's what I'm looking to get for this fight. I'm prepared to see wherever it goes but I'm always looking for the finish."

Although Saturday night's fight marks the first time this year he'll be fighting down the rankings, with Temirov one spot lower in seventh, a win over a fighter in such good form will certainly put Kavanagh back in the title picture in what is already a very stacked division.

But when all is said and done, it's not just a win and a future title shot that Kavanagh cares about, as there's one thing he wants to be able to look back on when his career is over.

“I'm just chasing those legendary moments, and I'm here to experience everything," he admitted.

"Obviously, having the belt around my waist is number one top priority, but other than that, I'm here to just enjoy the journey.”

How to watch UFC 333: Volkanovski v Evloev in the UK

In a rare treat for UFC fans in the UK, Saturday's card is set to take place during prime time, with the main card is set to begin at 19:00 UK time.

Early prelims are set to get underway from 15:00, with the main prelims starting two hours later at 17:00.

For fans looking to tune in to watch Kavanagh, you can expect him to be making the walk to the ring any time from 20:00, with his fight against Temirov set to be the third on the main card, with the bantamweight and featherweight title fights to come after.

Fans in the UK can watch UFC 333: Volkanovski v Evloev live on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+.