By Murdo Todd
IMMAF alumna Regina Tarin made good on her short-notice UFC debut, defeating Ernsesta Kareckaite in front of a home crowd in Mexico City, Mexico.
Tarin, who won silver for Team Mexico at the 2022 Youth World Championships, took the fight on just three days’ notice, but despite a lack of training camp, put on a stellar performance to earn the unanimous decision win. The victory takes Tarin’s record to an impressive 8-0, with six of those fights ending inside the distance.
At just 21 years old, Tarin is now the second youngest fighter on the UFC roster, not turning 22 until October this year. The Mexican will join the competitive women’s flyweight division, which features talent such as fellow alum Manon Fiorot.
Regina is just the most recent former IMMAF competitor to hit the big leagues, as our global talent continues to filter through to the very top of professional MMA.
Topping the UFC Mexico Card was Lone’er Kavanagh, who recently coached for Team England at the 2025 IMMAF World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia. The 26-year-old defeated former UFC Flyweight Champion Brandon Moreno over the scheduled five-rounds
“It’s cool to experience it as a coach and see behind the scenes,” Kavangagh said of his experience at IMMAF.”
“Amateur is where you make the mistakes and learn from them. As an amateur, you want to get as much experience as possible. So, it’s sick to do it here; you can have multiple fights on one event.”
