UFC: Loner Kavanagh on Jon Jones loves his kicks and how his ‘terrible Asian mother’ shaped him

Lone’er Kavanagh was about six years old when he received a phone call from his mother that would turn his life upside down.

Kavanagh, who grew up in south west London, had to stop her gymnastics class to pick up the phone.

He told her that his father had suffered a heart attack that day, was seriously ill in the hospital, and that he urgently needed to see him.

By the time Kavanagh arrived at the hospital, his father had died.

“It was a tough one because I spoke to him on the phone before work in the morning,” Kavanagh told BBC Sport.

“It’s hard growing up not having a father figure, so I have so much respect for my mom because she has to play both roles.”

Now 26, Britain’s Kavanagh credits her mother with being a key figure in shaping the person — and fighter — she has become today.

Kavanagh’s last name is Irish, from his father’s side, but his first name Lonair is Chinese, from his mother’s side, and translates to ‘Dragon Son’.

Growing up, Kavanagh says he started hanging out with people he “shouldn’t have been around”, so his mother pushed him into martial arts to help him “stay disciplined”.

Last month, Kavanagh picked up the biggest win of his 11-fight career Defeated former two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno Just three weeks notice.

“A lot of what I do now is because of my mom. My mom is a very intimidating five-foot-5 Asian woman, who was very strict growing up, but I needed it,” Kavanagh said.

“MMA helped me a lot because I didn’t have male role models. My teammates are Ash Grimshaw, Ashkaw, Brad Pickett, I look up to these guys.

“I didn’t know what I was doing but I know that my father is in heaven, he’s watching over me, keeping me safe and he’s always with me.”