MMA News

Tag: Brandon Royval

  • ‘Might Have Just Jumped Taira For A Title Shot’ – Fans And Fighters React As Manel Kape Closes UFC On ESPN Era With Brutal Knockout Of Brandon Royval At UFC Vegas 112

    ‘Might Have Just Jumped Taira For A Title Shot’ – Fans And Fighters React As Manel Kape Closes UFC On ESPN Era With Brutal Knockout Of Brandon Royval At UFC Vegas 112

    Manel Kape has made a statement on why he might deserve the first shot at new flyweight champion Joshua Van, as he closes out the UFC on ESPN era with a finish of Brandon Royval in the UFC Vegas 112 main event.

    The pair felt each other out during the opening frame, trading low kicks and short strikes. Kape worked over Royval’s battle during the round to bring him toward the fence, and that was the opening Kape was looking for.

    Kape landed a right hand that cracked Royval, slumping him against the fence with his strikes. Some follow-up ground-and-pound brought the fight to a quick end, giving Kape the first-round finish.

    Manel Kape Blasts Through Brandon Royval At UFC Vegas 112

    Kape has now won three straight and seven of his last eight.

    Despite the loss, Royval is still 5-2 in his last seven fights.

  • Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape Headlines UFC Vegas 112 To Close Out UFC’s 2025

    Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape Headlines UFC Vegas 112 To Close Out UFC’s 2025

    Flyweight is a division filled with talent, and two prominent names in that division have been chosen to try and close the UFC’s 2025 calendar year with a bang in the main event of UFC Vegas 112.

    Former title challenger Brandon Royval and former RIZIN bantamweight champion Manel Kape will face off at the event, which takes place on December 13 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The bout was first reported by Marcel Dorff.

    As of September 1, Royval and Kape are both ranked in the top 10 at flyweight at No. 3 and No. 7, respectively. And with Royval having already fallen to champion Alexandre Pantoja — and Pantoja’s expected next title defense against Joshua Van at the end of 2025 or start of 2026 — a win by Kape here could elevate him into the next in line for the Pantoja-Van winner.

    Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape To Headline UFC Vegas 112 On December 13

    Royval, the former LFA flyweight champion, will be looking to bounce back from a loss to Van at UFC 317 in June. Royval has won five of his last eight — with his losses in that span coming to both Van and Pantoja.

    Kape has won two straight and six of his last seven. He’ll come into this bout off a TKO of Asu Almabayev at UFC Vegas 103 in March.

    UFC Vegas 112, which takes place one week after UFC 323, will also mark the final UFC broadcast on ESPN in the U.S. before numbered cards and Fight Night events move to Paramount at the start of 2026.

  • ‘High Level Fighting’ – Fighters & Fans React To Joshua Van Dropping, Defeating Brandon Royval In Bloody Fight Of The Year Slugfest At UFC 317

    ‘High Level Fighting’ – Fighters & Fans React To Joshua Van Dropping, Defeating Brandon Royval In Bloody Fight Of The Year Slugfest At UFC 317

    Just three weeks ago at UFC 316, Joshua Van scored a dominant finish of Bruno Silva — and then was quickly asked days later to fill in for Manel Kape against No. 1 contender and former title challenger Brandon Royval at UFC 317.

    And now, after one of the most action-packed, memorable, and most entertaining fights the UFC flyweight division has ever seen — let alone a Fight of the Year nominee — Van defeated Royval via decision — and now has solidified himself as a top name in the UFC at 125.

    Royval brought the pressure early to start the fight, landing several leg kicks and working his jab. Van did land a small series of single punches, and all brought notable power. Royval continued to throw, though not much landed, as it seemed to be more about keeping distance and preventing Van from landing much. Van’s output in the first was significantly less, but when he did throw, it landed most of the time.

    Royval looked to implement some dirty boxing and make things more of a brawl in the second, staying busy with volume. This included a straight left that solidly landed. Van, however, continued to connect. A one-two from Royval backed Van up, but Van answered back with his own combination. Royval would bring the pressure, but Van would continue to answer, resulting in a memorable back-and-forth striking war over the course of these five minutes.

    The third round showcased the war that these two displayed — with both men landing personal bests for significant strikes. As one brought pressure and landed well, the other responded the same. But Van dropped Royval in the closing seconds, and while he wasn’t able to get the finish, it was enough to give him the win in a bloody battle.

    Joshua Van Edges Out Brandon Royval In War At UFC 317

    Van has now won five straight and is 8-1 in the Octagon.

    Royval has won five of seven, with his only losses in this stretch now coming against Van and UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja. Royval came into tonight’s bout off wins over Brandon Moreno and Tatsuro Taira.

  • Joshua Van To Make Three-Week Turnaround To Replace Manel Kape Against Brandon Royval At UFC 317

    Joshua Van To Make Three-Week Turnaround To Replace Manel Kape Against Brandon Royval At UFC 317

    The much-anticipated UFC 317 lineup has undergone a notable shake-up.

    The UFC’s next pay-per-view event, scheduled for June 28 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, will mark the closing highlight of this year’s International Fight Week.

    On Monday, news emerged that Manel Kape had withdrawn from his scheduled bout against former flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval at UFC 317 for reasons unknown. Stepping up on less than three weeks’ notice, surging prospect Joshua Van has accepted the challenge to square off against Royval.

    Royval took to social media to announce the updated matchup, revealing that Kape had suffered an injury. He also lauded Van for answering the call on such short notice.

    “Manel Kape is out, Joshua Van is stepping in,” Royval said on Instagram. “I have zero idea of the extent of Manel Kape’s injuries but I do know I have the hottest prospect and probably the most exciting UFC flyweight in front of me. Really nothing changes for me as far as what’s in front of me. I’ve got a gangster that’s ready to take my head off and earn his name off of me.”

    “Raw Dawg” was originally set to face off against Kape in the headline bout of UFC Vegas 103 back in March. However, he was compelled to pull out nearly a month prior after suffering multiple concussions during training.

    Royval is riding a two-fight winning streak after falling short in his title challenge against reigning 125-pound champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 296 in December 2023. The 32-year-old Colorado native last competed in October, securing a gritty split decision victory over Tatsuro Taira.

    Van last seen in action this past Saturday at UFC 316, where he secured a last-minute finish over Bruno Silva. “The Fearless” enters UFC 317 on the back of a four-fight winning streak, which includes dominant decision victories over Rei Tsuruya and Cody Durden.

    The 23-year-old Burmese-American also took to X to officially confirm the bout against Royval.

    Image: @ufc/Instagram

    What Does The UFC 317 Lineup Look Like?

    UFC 317 will be headlined by a championship double-header. The main event features former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria facing former lightweight titleholder Charles Oliveira in a battle for the vacant lightweight crown at 155 pounds. Meanwhile, the co-main event will see flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja defend his title against Kai Kara-France.

    Here are the confirmed bouts for the UFC 317 card:

    • Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira; vacant lightweight championship
    • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France: flyweight championship
    • Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov; middleweight bout
    • Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano; lightweight bout
    • Brandon Royval vs. Joshua Van; flyweight bout
    • Jack Hermansson vs. Gregory Rodrigues; middleweight bout
    • Viviane Araujo vs. Tracy Cortez; women’s flyweight bout
    • Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber; lightweight bout
    • Hyder Amil vs. Jose Delgado; featherweight bout
    • Jhonata Diniz vs. Justin Tafa; heavyweight bout
    UFC 317 poster
    Image: @ufc/X

  • UFC Fighter Says Concussion That Postponed Main Event Was So Severe He Couldn’t ‘Formulate Sentences’

    UFC Fighter Says Concussion That Postponed Main Event Was So Severe He Couldn’t ‘Formulate Sentences’

    UFC flyweight contender Brandon Royval has expanded on the postponement of his clash with Manel Kape this year.

    2024 was a successful year for the #1-ranked Royval, who entered it off the back of a disappointing performance in his title challenge against Alexandre Pantoja in December 2023.

    First, a short-notice opportunity to run it back with Brandon Moreno in Mexico arose, and “Raw Dawg” made the most of it by outpointing the former champion. Eight months later, Royval returned to a win streak by turning away the charge of Japan’s Tatsuro Taira.

    With that, the 32-year-old is firmly back within the championship conversation at 125 pounds. And to earn another chance at the gold, Royval must now get past Manel Kape.

    The pair were originally announced as the headliners for the March 1 UFC Fight Night at the Apex in Las Vegas, but Royval was forced to withdraw after suffering a concussion in training.

    Following confirmation that the pair will give their bout a second go at reaching the cage at UFC 317 on June 28, Royval further delved into the health issue that prevented a clash with Kape early last month during a recent interview with Inside Fighting.

    “I believe that there’s levels of concussion…that’s just facts,” Royval said. “You can get minor headaches, all that stuff. My concussion was so severe that like, originally I wasn’t formulating sentences well. I wasn’t like, recalling — me and you would be having a conversation, I’d start to talk, and I would forget what I was saying mid-sentence. That was the first week.

    “My eyes weren’t tracking. That was the weirdest thing of all,” Royval continued. “If I was bouncing my eyes between things…I would have a hard time finding (what I was trying to look at). … Being a flyweight, being in the UFC, being in any sport, my eyes need to be bouncing. I need to be seeing everything.”

  • Brandon Royval, Manel Kape Rebooked For Potential Flyweight Title Eliminator At UFC 317

    Brandon Royval, Manel Kape Rebooked For Potential Flyweight Title Eliminator At UFC 317

    The lineup for UFC International Fight Week 2025 is starting to take shape.

    On Thursday, a report from Laerte Viana stated that Brandon Royval and Manel Kape have been rebooked for a high-stakes flyweight bout at UFC 317, set to take place on June 28 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    With a potential title shot at stake, Royval and Kape were originally set to headline UFC Vegas 103 last month. However, “Raw Dawg” was forced to withdraw nearly a month before the fight after sustaining multiple concussions during training.

    Meanwhile, Kape remained on the card and earned a debated third-round TKO victory over short-notice replacement Asu Almabayev. The win added to the momentum he built with his dominant third-round knockout of Bruno Silva in December.

    “Starboy” was on a four-fight win streak, including finishes over Zhalgas Zhumagulov and Ode’ Osbourne. However, his surge came to a halt at UFC 304 in July 2024, where he fell short against Muhammad Mokaev via unanimous decision.

    On the other hand, Royval last competed in October, securing a hard-fought split decision victory over rising prospect Tatsuro Taira. Just earlier that year, he also edged out former champion Brandon Moreno in another split decision win in February 2024.

    “Raw Dawg” had previously challenged reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja for the 125-pound title at UFC 296 in December 2023. However, his bid for gold ended in disappointment as he suffered a one-sided unanimous decision defeat.

    As of now, no other fights have been officially confirmed for UFC 317. However, rumors suggest that a middleweight clash between former title challenger Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov, as well as a lightweight showdown featuring veteran Michael Johnson and rising prospect Daniel Zellhuber, are in the works.

  • Brandon Royval Describes ‘Severe’ Health Issue That Led To UFC Fight Night Main Event Withdrawal

    Brandon Royval Describes ‘Severe’ Health Issue That Led To UFC Fight Night Main Event Withdrawal

    Brandon Royval has gone into detail on why he withdrew from his scheduled UFC Fight Night main event against Manel Kape early next month.

    The former title challenger is riding a two-fight win streak following his loss to flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja. With Royval out, Kape will now face Asu Almabayev on March 1 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

    Royval revealed that consecutive concussions forced him to prioritize his health and pull out of the fight, a decision he discussed on his YouTube channel.

    “Maybe a couple months back, I had a concussion,” Royval said. “I was just playing it safe, playing it smart. A couple weeks later, when I was recovered, I accepted this fight, which was awesome. Fight Manel Kape. I respect his skills, I respect him as a striker and all that.

    “I was training hard for this fight, and being a little reckless and being kind of in the zone for camp, I got another concussion. This one was severely worse,” Royval continued. “It’s been over a week at this point, and I’m still dealing with the repercussions of it and the symptoms of a bad concussion. And because of that reason — adding a weight cut, Manel Kape being a good striker, and this being a predominantly striking match — we felt this would be the safest move. Take some time, recover, recover the right way this time, and fight at a later date. Fight when I can fully train, fully take a punch, and give you guys the best of my ability.”

  • Manel Kape Pitches Replacement After Losing UFC Fight Night Main Event Opponent

    Manel Kape Pitches Replacement After Losing UFC Fight Night Main Event Opponent

    UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape is wasting little time searching for a new foe after losing his planned opponent early next month.

    Following a return to winning ways via a knockout of Bruno Silva in Tampa last December, Kape was booked for a potential title eliminator against Brandon Royval in the UFC Vegas 103 main event on March 1.

    On Wednesday, however, “Raw Dawg” announced his withdrawal due to injury on Instagram.

    After unsurprisingly firing shots at his stricken rival on social media, “Starboy” quickly turned his attention to securing a different opponent for that date.

    And he has one high-profile name in mind…

    “Moreno step in!!!”

    Unfortunately for the Angola-born Portuguese flyweight, recent reports have Brandon Moreno slated to headline the UFC Fight Night in Mexico City later in the month against Steve Erceg.

    But should that be the case, the former Rizin champion still won’t be without options. He’s already agreed to one alternative, giving the green light to a clash with the in-form Charles Johnson.

    Having won four straight in the division, many were surprised to see the #12-ranked Johnson booked against a name outside the top 15 in Ramazon Temirov next time out.

    With that bout set for the same March 1 event that Kape was scheduled to headline, perhaps “InnerG” will get his wish for a more prominent booking and be elevated to headline status versus “Starboy.”

  • UFC Loses Another Main Event In 2025 After Injury Forces Top Contender Out: ‘I Apologize From The Bottom Of My Heart’

    Another UFC headliner has fallen through just weeks on from the promotion’s late scramble to find a new main event for its first pay-per-view this year.

    The opening numbered event of 2025, UFC 311, received a major change late in the day when Arman Tsarukyan withdrew from his title challenge against lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev on just 24 hours’ notice.

    Renato Moicano subsequently stepped in, but that didn’t stop the disappointment of those excited to witness the Dagestani and Armenian rivals run it back.

    No event is ever safe from cancellations, but the organization might be cursing its luck after losing another headliner in the first quarter of this year.

    Former flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval took to Instagram Wednesday to reveal he’s been forced to pull out of his UFC Fight Night main event against Manel Kape at the Apex on March 1 due to injury.

    “Unfortunately I’m going to have to pull out of my fight, I’m sorry to Manel Kape and my fans,” Royval wrote. “I’m facing an injury that has me questioning when I’ll be able to train again. This is absolutely a fight I think needs to happen for the flyweight division but as of right now competing month has been ill advised. Love y’all and I apologize from the bottom of my heart. I’ll have more details on my YouTube this week.”

    It remains to be seen whether the promotion will seek a replacement opponent for Kape or reschedule that bout for a later date.

    In terms of a new headline matchup, the event’s current lineup is devoid of options. With a middleweight clash between Cody Brundage and Julian Marquez set for the co-main event, the promotion will likely need to put together a new high-profile bout to close the show in Las Vegas on March 1.

  • Brandon Royval Calls For Venue Change After Crucial Manel Kape Fight Announced For UFC Apex

    Brandon Royval Calls For Venue Change After Crucial Manel Kape Fight Announced For UFC Apex

    UFC flyweight contender Brandon Royval believes the magnitude of his next fight lends itself to a better environment than the Apex.

    2024 was a successful year for the #1-ranked Royval, who entered it off the back of a disappointing performance in his title challenge against Alexandre Pantoja last December.

    First, a short-notice opportunity to run it back with Brandon Moreno in Mexico arose, and “Raw Dawg” made the most of it by outpointing the former champion. And eight months later, Royval returned to a win streak by turning away the charge of Japan’s Tatsuro Taira.

    With that, the 32-year-old is firmly back within the championship conversation at 125 pounds. And to earn another chance at the gold, Royval must now get past Manel Kape.

    The pair were recently announced as the headliners for the March 1 UFC Fight Night at the Apex in Las Vegas. Like his win over Taira, the clash is currently slated to take place with a limited crowd at the low-capacity Apex facility in Las Vegas.

    But given the likely title stakes — not to mention both men’s ability to put on a show inside the Octagon — Royval thinks that should change…

    “Kape and I is a dope ass fight,” he wrote on X. “We should make this happen in front of an audience.”

    For “Starboy,” the bout offers the chance for him to secure a first title shot on MMA’s biggest stage. The former Rizin champ originally called his shot for a rematch versus Pantoja next year after a dominant victory over Bruno Silva in Tampa earlier this month.

    But after Dana White was quick to dismiss that as a possibility, Kape now has his next assignment in the calendar, as he looks to wrest Royval’s top contender status away in 2025 en route to the flyweight throne.

  • Manel Kape Misses Out On Title Shot, Faces Top Contender In UFC Fight Night Main Event

    Manel Kape Misses Out On Title Shot, Faces Top Contender In UFC Fight Night Main Event

    Manel Kape’s recent performance will not earn him a UFC flyweight title shot — at least not yet. He may, however, be one fight away from getting such.

    Per Ag. Fight, Kape’s next fight has already been booked, as he will take on former title challenger Brandon Royval in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card at the APEX on March 1, 2025.

    Kape competed on last week’s UFC Tampa card, taking out Bruno Silva in a highlight TKO. The result marked “Starboy’s” fifth win in his last six fights and helped him bounce back from a loss in his dlackluster outing with Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304 earlier this year.

    Manel Kape vs. Brandon Royval Targeted For March 1 UFC Fight Night

    Royval is on a similar path, having defeated former champion Brandon Moreno and the highly touted Tatsuro Taira in his two 2024 fights. His sole loss in recent times was an unsuccessful challenge of current flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 296. “Raw Dawg” also lost to Pantoja in their initial 2021 meeting.

    Pantoja, meanwhile , successfully defended the title against former RIZIN champion Kai Asakura in the Japanese star’s UFC debut earlier this month at UFC 310.

  • Former Opponent On Brandon Moreno’s Win: ‘This Is What I Want To See’

    Former Opponent On Brandon Moreno’s Win: ‘This Is What I Want To See’

    #1-Ranked flyweight contender Brandon Royval was watching closely this past weekend as the UFC returned to Edmonton for a Fight Night event. In the main event, former champion Brandon Moreno reminded everyone just how good he can be.

    The Mexican star put on a dominant performance to hand Amir Albazi his first loss inside the Octagon, looking back to his best after suffering consecutive losses in his last two outings. His boxing skills and speed have always been two of his best attributes but it’s been a while since we really saw him control a fight from start to finish.

    Earlier this year, Moreno faced Royval in a rematch in Mexico City where after losing a split decision, he announced that he would be taking some time off. Though Moreno didn’t stay away from the gym for too long, the time with his family clearly led to him coming back revitalized and Royval enjoyed seeing that from him.

    The result seemingly worked out in favor of “Raw Dawg” who could have found himself waiting behind Albazi in line for a title shot if he had got his hand raised given his winning streak in the division.

    In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Royval said though he’s happy Moreno won because of the impact it has on his standing in the current title picture, he was excited to see his former foe looking dialled in and on point in Canada.

    “I thought he looked sick bro, I had such a good time watching him. I liked the look in his eye when he walked out like the moment he walked out, I was like alright cool, this is what I want to see. It was like a p***** off Brandon Moreno ready to go and he fought with the f****** attitude and a chip on his shoulder and I love that, I love to see that.”

  • Brandon Royval: Brandon Moreno’s Latest Win Cleared Way For My UFC Title Shot

    Brandon Royval: Brandon Moreno’s Latest Win Cleared Way For My UFC Title Shot

    Brandon Royval was hoping for Brandon Moreno to have his hand raised in victory when he faced Amir Albazi at UFC Fight Night 246 this past Saturday in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. And that’s exactly what happened. The former champion returned to peak form, delivering a dominant performance against Albazi.

    Royval himself has two recent wins over Moreno, followed by an impressive victory against Tatsuro Taira in a “Fight of the Night” showing. In his view, these achievements position him as the new #1 contender for a title shot.

    “I think the only thing that was cleared up completely was that I’m next for the title shot,” Royval told MMA Junkie. “That’s what this fight did: It cleared the way for me. I thought he [Moreno] looked amazing. I had such a good time watching him. The moment he walked out, I was like, ‘All right, cool, this is what I want to see: a fired-up Brandon Moreno, ready to go.’”

    Royval continued, “He fought with attitude and a chip on his shoulder, and I loved that. I really believe the flyweight division has been more exciting than ever. People often criticize us, saying the top three or four guys are just clearing out everyone else, but I think the division is at its peak.”

    Royval will now have to wait for the outcome of flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja’s title defense against former RIZIN champion Kai Asakura on Dec. 7 at UFC 310. Regardless, he expects to face the winner.

  • Brandon Royval Explains How Pantoja Title Fight Announcement Aided Him vs. Taira

    Brandon Royval Explains How Pantoja Title Fight Announcement Aided Him vs. Taira

    Brandon Royval came into his recent fight against Tatsuro Taira in a bit of a difficult position regarding the flyweight title picture. The former title challenger has already beaten many of the top contenders but hadn’t been able to defeat the current champion, Alexandre Pantoja.

    This led to some confusion regarding the stakes of his main event clash with Taira. Whilst a win for the rising Japanese contender could have earned him a title shot, that wasn’t necessarily the same case for Royval.

    The idea of either man being next to challenge Pantoja was dispelled on the day of the fight when it was announced that recent signing Kai Asakura will face the champion on his UFC debut in December.

    Royval has already said that the former RIZIN fighter getting the title shot straight off the bat doesn’t bother him because a reshuffle of the division suits him well. He also told Ariel Helwani in a recent interview that this announcement didn’t negatively impact him when it happened on the day he was fighting.

    “Raw Dawg” said that he already knew this fight would be next so it actually helped give him something to aim for going into what ended up being a great fight against Taira that he won via split decision.

    The next title fight coming together gave him a clearer sense of direction so that he could focus on securing the win and moving on to face the winner of Pantoja and Asakura.

    “I knew about that a long time ago. It just gave me a way to aim, you know what I’m saying, and that’s what I wanted. I wanted a direction to go because I’m like, ‘F***, I’m about call out three, four different people, but now that it’s, okay, there’s a title shot. Okay, I got the winner’, and it’s like, I think whoever the winner is, there are certain advantages either way. It’s just like I could go fight in Brazil or I could go fight in Japan and I think if Asakura wins, a fight in Japan would be almost a mandatory I think.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hIB2-YRrqc&t=948s
  • Brandon Royval Names The Thing That Surprised Him About Tatsuro Taira The Most

    Brandon Royval Names The Thing That Surprised Him About Tatsuro Taira The Most

    Brandon Royval had no problem admitting that Tatsuro Taira had drastically surprised him in their main event at the Apex last weekend. “Raw Dawg” emerged victorious via a split decision where he needed to win the fifth round to secure the win.

    Having trained together several times in the past, Royval said in his post-fight interview that he expected to run straight through the rising Japanese contender.

    He didn’t believe that the 24-year old Taira would be close to his level so it would be a quick night at the office with a first or second round finish but the fight ended up being a great competitive clash.

    Though Royval had the clear advantage in the striking exchanges, it was the excellent grappling game of his opponent that cause him some issues.

    Royval is no stranger to facing top grapplers in the division and is usually able to cause them some issues with his own scrambling ability. He wasn’t able to do this consistently against Taira who is a master of taking the back and keeping it whilst he works to secure submissions from this dominant position.

    In an interview with former UFC champion Michael Bisping on his Believe You Me podcast, Royval spoke about how Taira’s back control and body triangle was another level to what he has experienced in the past, even compared to the likes of Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Moreno.

    “When he locked in that body triangle I immediately was like, oh that’s a different type of body triangle and I’ve never felt a body triangle where I was like oh that’s actually really, really tight… I really thought he’d be the least effective of the back riders and holy s*** that kid on my back was a whole different strength, a whole different feeling and really eye opening”

  • Tatsuro Taira Issues First Statement After UFC Fight Night Loss To Brandon Royval

    Tatsuro Taira Issues First Statement After UFC Fight Night Loss To Brandon Royval

    Tatsuro Taira has released his first statement on social media after suffering the first loss of his career in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night main event.

    After winning his first six outings on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, Taira had the opportunity to impress opposite the #1-ranked contender at 125 pounds on Saturday night inside the Apex.

    And although he exited the cage with a defeat added to his previously perfect record, the rising Japanese star certainly made a splash in his sophomore experience in the headline spotlight.

    Taira Keeps Eyes On Ultimate Prize After First UFC Setback

    Taira played his part in one of the best main events and fights seen under the UFC banner in 2024, going toe-to-toe with Brandon Royval across 25 minutes in Las Vegas.

    The Japanese 24-year-old earned the nod on one of the judges’ scorecards, but he ultimately fell on the wrong side of a split decision verdict.

    Nevertheless, Taira’s stock didn’t appear to fall with the result, which came after he had overcome notable adversity in round three to avoid being finished.

    And moving forward, the loss has seemingly done little to affect the Okinawa native’s drive to reach the top. In fact, he appears more eager to achieve title glory in the UFC than ever.

    “Thank you so much for all your support. I’m also grateful to my team for coming to the U.S. and supporting me,” Taira wrote on X (translated from Japanese). “Even though I was overcome with emotion after losing, I felt a strong desire to become UFC champion and give back to everyone, even if just a little. I will look forward and come back stronger.”

    While Taira looks ahead to his chance to quickly return to winning ways next time out, gold is no doubt on the mind of Royval.

    “Raw Dawg” has now won back-to-back main events against top-five opposition since falling short against Alexandre Pantoja in his first title shot last December. He’ll now have a close eye on “The Cannibal’s” upcoming defense opposite newcomer Kai Asakura.

  • ‘New Mythical Fighter: Round 5 Royval’ – Fans & Fighters React As Brandon Royval Edges Out Tatsuro Taira In Crazy UFC Fight Night Main Event

    ‘New Mythical Fighter: Round 5 Royval’ – Fans & Fighters React As Brandon Royval Edges Out Tatsuro Taira In Crazy UFC Fight Night Main Event

    A highly anticipated UFC Fight Night main event between Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira lived up to the hype and then some. And after five rounds of back-and-forth, hard-fought action, Royval ultimately came out on top in a split decision.

    Royval appeared to be getting the better of Taira through most of the first round, landing shots that snapped Taira’s head back. The Japanese fighter, however, appeared to possibly stun the former title challenger late in the round and scored a takedown before its conclusion.

    Taira got back to work in the second round, scoring a takedown early and looking for multiple submission attempts from the back. Royval defended well, but Taira maintained a body triangle and twisted “Raw Dawg” and his limbs on more than one occasion.

    Royval, however, got control back by tagging Taira with a number of hard shots, which had referee Jason Herzog looking close to intervening for the TKO stoppage. The #1-ranked contender went to the ground with Taira and looked for an armbar. However, Taira got out of it and got right back to Royval’s back, looking for a rear-naked choke in the round’s closing seconds.

    Taira brought the fight back to the ground and was in control for nearly the whole of the fourth stanza, riding in top position and working Royval over with his grappling. This led to a suspenseful and highly anticipated final round.

    Royval was getting the better of Taira on the feet, but the latter brought the fight back to the mat. “Raw Dawg,” however, worked his way back to the feet and landed some strong shots. Royval then went for a guillotine and several other submission attempts, staying in control on the ground until the final horn.

    Royval Wins Competitive, Entertaining Flyweight Main Event vs. Taira, Ends Taira’s Undefeated Record

    Royval has now won five of his last six fights, with his sole loss in that span coming from an unsuccessful challenge of flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 296 last December

    Meanwhile, the loss marks the first of Taira’s professional career after starting his Octagon tenure at 6-0.

  • UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Brandon Royval Decisions Tatsuro Taira

    UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Brandon Royval Decisions Tatsuro Taira

    UFC Fight Night took place tonight from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights! 

    In the main event, top-five flyweights Brandon Royval (#1) and Tatsuro Taira (#5) clashed. While in the co-main event, Brad Tavares faced JunYong Park in a middleweight matchup. 

    UFC Fight Night Results: Main Card

    • Flyweight Main Event: Brandon Royval def. Tatsuro Taira via split decision (48-47×2, 47-48)
    • Middleweight Co-Main Event: JunYong Park def. Brad Tavares via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29)
    • Welterweight: Chidi Njokuani def. Jared Gooden via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
    • Lightweight: Grant Dawson def. Rafa Garcia via TKO: R2, 1.42
    • Welterweight: Daniel Rodriguez def. Alex Morono via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29) 
    • Flyweight: Ramazonbek Temirov def. CJ Vergara via TKO: R1, 2.50

    Preliminary Card

    • Featherweight: Pat Sabatini def. Jonathan Pearce via submission: R1, 4.06
    • Welterweight: Themba Gorimbo def. Niko Price via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
    • Heavyweight: Junior Tafa def. Sean Sharaf via TKO: R2, 2.15
    • Women’s Strawweight: Julia Polastri def. Cory McKenna via split decision (29-28, 30-27, 28-29)
    • Bantamweight: Cody Haddon def. Dan Argueta via unanimous decision (30-27×3)

    Flyweight: Clayton Carpenter def. Lucas Rocha via submission: R2, 2.12

    Preliminary Card Highlights

    Clayton Carpenter def. Lucas Rocha

    In this flyweight bout, Clayton Carpenter locked in a rear-naked choke to get the win against Lucas Rocha.

    Junior Tafa def. Sean Sharaf

    Junior Tafa got it done with a TKO of Sean Sharaf in round two of their heavyweight bout.

    Pat Sabatini def. Jonathan Pearce

    Pat Sabatini earned a first-round submission against Jonathan Pearce in their featherweight bout.

    Main Card Highlights

    Ramazonbek Temirov def. CJ Vergara

    Making his UFC debut, Ramazonbek Temirov earned a first-round TKO against CJ Vergara in their flyweight matchup.

    Daniel Rodriguez def. Alex Morono

    In this welterweight matchup, Daniel Rodriguez earned a split decision win against Alex Morono.

    Grant Dawson def. Rafa Garcia

    Grant Dawson got it done with a TKO of Rafa Garcia in the second round of their lightweight bout.

    Chidi Njokuani def. Jared Gooden

    Chidi Njokuani earned a unanimous decision against Jared Gooden in their welterweight matchup.

    JunYong Park def. Brad Tavares

    In the co-main event, JunYong Park earned a split decision win against Brad Tavares.

    Brandon Royval def. Tatsuro Taira

    In the main event, Brandon Royval earned a split decision victory against Tatsuro Taira.

  • UFC Fight Night: Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira Weigh-In Results: 3 Miss Weight

    UFC Fight Night: Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira Weigh-In Results: 3 Miss Weight

    UFC Fight Night: Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results!

    After returning to Salt Lake City, Utah for its latest numbered event, mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is back at its home base to stage another card at the Apex.

    Topping the lineup will be a high-stakes flyweight affair, as former title challenger Brandon Royval looks to secure another shot at unseating Alexandre Pantoja from the throne. To do so, he’ll need to blemish the perfect professional record of rising Japanese contender Tatsuro Taira.

    Elsewhere, the likes of middleweight veteran Brad Tavares, formerly ranked lightweight Grant Dawson, and knockout artist Abdul Razak Alhassan will all be in action.

    UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira takes place on Saturday, October 12, at the Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the preliminary card starting at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

    See above for a full replay of the weigh-ins via MMA Junkie, and check out the full results below!

    Main Card:

    • Flyweight Main Event: Brandon Royval (125.5lbs) vs. Tatsuro Taira (125.5lbs)
    • Middleweight Co-Main Event: Brad Tavares (185lbs) vs. JunYong Park (185.5lbs)
    • Welterweight: Chidi Njokuani (170.5lbs) vs. Jared Gooden (172.5lbs)**
    • Lightweight: Grant Dawson (156lbs) vs. Rafa Garcia (154.5lbs)
    • Welterweight: Daniel Rodriguez (170lbs) vs. Alex Morono (170.5lbs)
    • Middleweight: Abdul Razak Alhassan (186lbs) vs. Josh Fremd (189lbs)*

    Preliminary Card:

    • Flyweight: CJ Vergara (126lbs) vs. Ramazonbek Temirov (125.5lbs)
    • Featherweight: Jonathan Pearce (145lbs) vs. Pat Sabatini (145lbs)
    • Welterweight: Themba Gorimbo (170.5lbs) vs. Niko Price (170.5lbs)
    • Heavyweight: Junior Tafa (241lbs) vs. Sean Sharaf (252lbs)
    • Women’s Strawweight: Julia Polastri (115lbs) vs. Cory McKenna (115lbs)
    • Bantamweight: Dan Argueta (138.5lbs)*** vs. Cody Haddon (135lbs)
    • Flyweight: Clayton Carpenter (125.5lbs) vs. Lucas Rocha (125.5lbs)

    *Josh Fremd missed the middleweight limit by 3 pounds, fight canceled

    **Jared Gooden missed the welterweight limit by 1.5 pounds, fight status TBC

    ***Dan Argueta missed the bantamweight limit by 2.5 pounds, fight status TBC

  • Brandon Royval Labels Next Opponent Tatsuro Taira ‘Overrated’

    Brandon Royval Labels Next Opponent Tatsuro Taira ‘Overrated’

    Brandon Royval attempts to continue making the case for why he deserves another flyweight title shot this weekend.

    The #1-ranked contender seemingly has less to gain than his opponent in their upcoming main event clash at the UFC Apex.

    Tatsuro Taira will be difficult to deny if he’s able to extend his undefeated streak in the UFC to seven by taking out his toughest test in “Raw Dawg”.

    Royval knows that there’s a lot of hype around his next opponent and that gives him the opportunity to steal some of the momentum so that he can force his way into another rematch with the champion, Alexandre Pantoja.

    The excitement around the 24-year old Taira is seemingly reflected in the betting odds for this fight that have the Japanese contender as the favorite.

    Brandon Royval Believes That The Odds Makers Are Way Off On His Next Match-Up

    In an interview with Mike Heck for MMA Fighting, Royval gave his reaction to being the underdog in this fight despite his experience at the top level.

    The former title challenger has trained with his upcoming opponent in the past, stating in a different interview that they last worked together around a year ago.

    Despite being impressed by Taira’s winning streak inside the Octagon, he did say that he was somewhat surprised to be fighting him this soon.

    Royval told MMA Fighting that when he looks at the betting odds, he’s convinced that hype has led to things being the wrong way round, suggesting that Taira isn’t as good as this line suggests.

    “When I saw that I’m like, am I seeing something wrong or whatever. I’m one of the most underrated dudes in the flyweight division, I’ve been thinking that for years and I also think Taira might be one of the most overrated guys in this division right now, and no disrespect on him. I’ve trained with him, he seems like a very nice kid and I’m not trying to be disrespectful. I do believe he’ll be a champion one day but I think he’s overrated and I think I’m underrated.”

  • Brandon Royval On Failed Talks To Fight UFC Newcomer: ‘Asked For More Money…They Said No’

    Brandon Royval On Failed Talks To Fight UFC Newcomer: ‘Asked For More Money…They Said No’

    UFC flyweight contender Brandon Royval returns to action on Saturday night at the Apex, but he nearly had a much different assignment a couple of months ago.

    Royval last competed in Mexico City this past February, where he exacted revenge on Brandon Moreno in their headlining rematch. With that result, “Raw Dawg” is ranked #1 at 125 pounds.

    He’ll now have the chance to potentially secure another shot at Alexandre Pantoja’s title this weekend, when he tops a UFC Fight Night lineup at the Apex opposite the #5-ranked Tatsuro Taira.

    Had the UFC’s plans come to fruition, however, Royval would have been set to compete in other surroundings against a fighter without a number next to their name — or a UFC fight on their record…

    Royval On Rejecting Asakura Fight: ‘Not Getting A Guaranteed Title Shot, Not Getting More Money…’

    During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Royval looked ahead to his upcoming headliner with Taira and revealed that he was almost set for a much different test far from home.

    “Raw Dawg” said he was offered the chance to welcome Kai Asakura to the promotion at the UFC 305 pay-per-view in Perth, Australia this past August.

    But after his requests for additional payment for the long-distance trip and guarantees of a title shot should he win were rejected, Royval opted against heading Down Under to face the former Rizin champion.

    “They offered me that fight (Asakura) in Australia,” Royval said. “I asked them for more money, I asked for a handful of stuff, and they said no. And then I asked them for one of any of those things, and they said no. And I was like, all right, well, then I’m not gonna go f*cking fight some dude, not in the UFC, for not much money, all the way across the (world) where I’m not getting any sleep. I’m not getting any of this, I’m not getting a guaranteed title shot, I’m not getting any more money.

    “I got to bring my whole team out there if I’m going to go out there because I need to get my Arcadian rhythm in cycle. So it’s like, I got to fly out my whole team and guys that look like Kai Asakura. So it was one of those (things where) financially, (it) doesn’t make sense to me,” Royval continued. “And then it’s also, like, the risk doesn’t (exceed) the reward. If I go out there and lose, I just lost (to) somebody without a ranking, and if I go out there and win, they’re not guaranteeing me a title shot or anything. So there was really no reward in that.”

    Things have seemingly worked out well for Royval, who is now days away from facing a fellow top-five contender in what will mark his second consecutive UFC main event.

  • Brandon Royval Sees ‘Strong Possibility’ UFC Newcomer Could Beat Alexandre Pantoja

    Brandon Royval Sees ‘Strong Possibility’ UFC Newcomer Could Beat Alexandre Pantoja

    Brandon Royval is set to return this weekend at the UFC Apex where he faces the undefeated Tatsuro Taira in the main event.

    Even after beating Brandon Moreno last time out to cement his status as the #1-ranked flyweight in the division, handing Taira his first win may not be enough for him to secure a second title shot.

    “Raw Dog” has already suffered two defeats to the current champion, Alexandre Pantoja, which makes it significantly harder to put him straight back in.

    Royval spoke in a recent interview with Inside Fighting about how the talk of who will be Pantoja’s next challenger has been pretty quiet.

    After he faced a surprising opponent in Steve Erceg last time out, it would have likely been Muhammad Mokaev as the next in line if he was still with the promotion.

    Royval, however, believes that it could be a new arrival into the division that is next for the champ.

    Brandon Royval Says That Kai Asakura Could Be The Man To Beat Alexandre Pantoja

    Earlier this year in June, the UFC was announced to have signed RIZIN bantamweight champion Kai Asakura.

    The 30-year old Japanese star has got a huge fan following back in his native country and by all accounts, would be jumping in at the deep end once he arrived inside the Octagon.

    Royval took this as him facing Pantoja down at 125-pounds, as he told Inside Fighting.

    “I mean I thought it was Kai Asakura. I thought that was who the next fight would be and I was like, if I win this fight, I’m just gonna call out Pantoja or Asakura. But I mean I’ve still never heard anything so maybe it’s like I’m just starting these rumours myself.”

    Royval was also asked how he would feel about someone new entering the promotion and jumping right into a title shot.

    His response was that someone new being the champion would help his case for another title shot and in his opinion, Asakura would have a good chance of beating Pantoja.

    “Oh I don’t give a s***, as long as it doesn’t affect my road, it would be dope if he wins because if he wins, I for sure get the next title shot. In my opinion, I don’t really care. I just try to get in there when I fit in there so I think if he wins and beats Alexandre Pantoja, which I think is a strong possibility, then I could go fight Kai Asakura.” 

    Read also: Leon Edwards’ Brother On Loss To Belal Muhammad: ‘Always Had Unfair Situations Given To Him!’

  • Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira Set To Headline Apex-Held UFC Fight Night On October 12

    Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira Set To Headline Apex-Held UFC Fight Night On October 12

    Top flyweights Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira will vie for a possible title shot in the main event of a UFC Fight Night this fall.

    On October 12, two of the world’s best at 125 pounds will have their respective second headliners of the year thus far, with former title challenger and #1-ranked contender Royval tasked with blemishing the perfect record of Taira if he’s to stake his claim for a trilogy with Alexandre Pantoja.

    This fight was initially leaked by Bradley Martyn, who posted an image of the UFC’s matchmaking wall on social media, and later confirmed by Eurosport Nederland’s Marcel Dorff.

    Royval, Taira Target Title Shot With UFC Main Event Win

    When they make the walk for a five-round card-topper later this year, both Royval and Taira will look to ride the momentum from key results in 2024 all the way to the gold.

    Royval (16-7) closed out his 2023 with an unsuccessful first title bid on MMA’s biggest stage, falling short on the scorecards against Pantoja at UFC 296. With that result marking his second setback to “The Cannibal,” it appeared “Raw Dawg” would be in for a lengthy journey back to the belt. But this past February, Royval capitalized on a late-notice opportunity to run it back with Brandon Moreno, avenging his 2020 loss to the former champ by way of split decision in Mexico City.

    Taira (16-0), meanwhile, headlined a UFC Fight Night at the Apex four months later. After three wins last year to climb toward contention, the Japanese up-and-comer benefitted from a serious knee injury to Alex Perez this past June, which gave him the TKO stoppage in round two and paved the way for his rise to #5 in the flyweight pecking order.

    With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at the UFC Fight Night on October 12 are as follows:

    • Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira (flyweight main event)
    • Cody Garbrandt vs. Miles Johns (bantamweight)
    • Brad Tavares vs. Jungyong Park (middleweight)
    • Themba Gorimbo vs. Niko Price (welterweight)
    • Polyana Viana vs. Cory McKenna (women’s strawweight)
    • Josh Fremd vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (middleweight)
    • Grant Dawson vs. Rafa Garcia (lightweight)
    • Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Chris Barnett (heavyweight)
    • Chidi Njokuani vs. Jared Gooden (welterweight)
    • Clayton Carpenter vs. Lucas Rocha (flyweight)
    Tatsuro Taira
    Image: UFC/Zuffa LLC