Brit Lone'er Kavanagh believes victory against Ramazonbek Temirov at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi could catapult him into flyweight title contention.
Kavanagh (10-2) is coming off a fight of the night defeat to Brandon Royval in July, a result that followed his breakout win over former champion Brandon Moreno in Mexico City earlier this year.
Uzbekistan's Temirov (20-3) is yet to taste defeat in the UFC octagon and is on a 12-fight win streak.
Kavanagh has said that a positive result in the Middle East could reignite his momentum in the featherweight division after the submission defeat to Royval last time out.
"I believe so. I'd like to think [it puts me into the featherweight title mix]," Kavanagh told ESPN.
"I think a win there puts me right back up there. He's a dangerous opponent. He's got some good wins under him, a lot of wins, but I think a win against him puts me right back up at the top. [I'm] always looking for a finish.
"He's dangerous. He throws big shots, he throws wild shots. He's constantly [moving] forwards. He likes to stand and bang. Those are the main things I think that stick out. Obviously he's got a good wrestling background as well.
"His main weapons are his heavy hands, and that excites me. I love fights like that and I think it's a good fight for me.
"Hopefully [another fight of the night], I'm looking for more performances of the night. Kavanagh was unranked before his decision win against Moreno and will now be a part of his second numbered UFC card, with his last fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on the night of Conor McGregor's ill-fated return against Max Holloway.
"It feels surreal, I'm very grateful I get these opportunities, being on a card with such big names, being high up, it's amazing. I'm very blessed," he said.
"If you told me 10 years ago I'd be fighting on cards like these, I'd have told you to do one, so it's very cool.
"It was an awesome opportunity to fight on that card, McGregor coming back, in Vegas, such a high-level fight. I'd like to think my style is entertaining as it is, I'm always looking to be in an entertaining fight and apart from that I just love fighting so just being in there is cool.
"I've gone from watching [UFC YouTube show] Embedded to actually being in it so that was cool!"