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Matchup with Moreno on tap
Royval is scheduled to face Brandon Moreno in a flyweight bout at the UFC's Feb. 24 event in Mexico City, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Royval will replace Amir Albazi (undisclosed) in the fight, returning to the octagon after losing to Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision Dec. 16. His upcoming opponent Brandon Moreno hasn't fought since he lost to Pantoja himself, falling via split decision in the UFC Flyweight Championship in July. Moreno struggled to stay off the mat down the stretch of that matchup, which is something Royval will look to exploit in February.
Royval will replace Amir Albazi (undisclosed) in the fight, returning to the octagon after losing to Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision Dec. 16. His upcoming opponent Brandon Moreno hasn't fought since he lost to Pantoja himself, falling via split decision in the UFC Flyweight Championship in July. Moreno struggled to stay off the mat down the stretch of that matchup, which is something Royval will look to exploit in February.
Can't defend takedown in title loss
Royval came up short in his quest for the UFC Flyweight Championship on Saturday, falling to Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision (45-50, 45-50, 46-49) at UFC 296 in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
Royval has nine career wins via submission, but his takedown defense is truly dreadful, and you aren't going to defeat the guys at the very top of the food chain if you spent the vast majority of a 25-minute fight on your back. Royval gave up three takedowns to Pantoja on six attempts when the two fought back in August 2021, and it was the same issue here, just on a more pronounced scale. Brandon tried to remain active from the bottom, which is a good thing, but Pantoja was bigger, stronger and more talented. Royval's best moments of the fight came early in Round 5 prior to, you guessed it, again being planted on the mat. Royval getting a title shot seemed like an odd thing in the first place considering he was just 3-2 in his past five bouts, but the company is quickly running out of options at 125 pounds. The odds are against the 31-year-old Colorado native again fighting for gold at any point during his UFC run.
Royval has nine career wins via submission, but his takedown defense is truly dreadful, and you aren't going to defeat the guys at the very top of the food chain if you spent the vast majority of a 25-minute fight on your back. Royval gave up three takedowns to Pantoja on six attempts when the two fought back in August 2021, and it was the same issue here, just on a more pronounced scale. Brandon tried to remain active from the bottom, which is a good thing, but Pantoja was bigger, stronger and more talented. Royval's best moments of the fight came early in Round 5 prior to, you guessed it, again being planted on the mat. Royval getting a title shot seemed like an odd thing in the first place considering he was just 3-2 in his past five bouts, but the company is quickly running out of options at 125 pounds. The odds are against the 31-year-old Colorado native again fighting for gold at any point during his UFC run.
Scheduled as UFC 296 co-main event
Royval will fight Alexandre Pantoja during the UFC 296 event, Aaron Bronsteter of TSN Sports reports.
ANALYSIS
Royval is fresh off a knockout of Mattheus Nicolau in April and will get his chance at the current UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja later this year. Though Royval was defeated by Pantoja last time they fought, Royval will have the opportunity to usurp the champ and claim the flyweight title for himself.
Royval is fresh off a knockout of Mattheus Nicolau in April and will get his chance at the current UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja later this year. Though Royval was defeated by Pantoja last time they fought, Royval will have the opportunity to usurp the champ and claim the flyweight title for himself.
Weighs in as backup
Royval weighed in as the backup for Saturday's flyweight co-main event, checking in at an even 125 pounds, MMAFighting.com reports.
ANALYSIS
While Royval has lost to both combatants featured in Saturday's co-main event, he has since won three consecutive bouts, and the two most recent have earned him a post-fight bonus. His presence at Saturday's weigh-ins suggest the UFC considers him to be on the verge of a title shot in a thin flyweight division, though with both Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja making championship weight, it doesn't appear as if Royval's services will be necessary.
While Royval has lost to both combatants featured in Saturday's co-main event, he has since won three consecutive bouts, and the two most recent have earned him a post-fight bonus. His presence at Saturday's weigh-ins suggest the UFC considers him to be on the verge of a title shot in a thin flyweight division, though with both Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja making championship weight, it doesn't appear as if Royval's services will be necessary.
Pulls upset of Matheus Nicolau
Royval defeated Matheus Nicolau via KO (strikes) at 2:09 of Round 1 at UFC on ESPN 44 on Saturday in Kansas City.
ANALYSIS
Royval had traditionally struggled against better competition over the course of his UFC run, so it was nice to see him pull an upset here against a talented opponent in Nicolau. A fighter not typically known for his stopping power, Royval crushed his opponent with a knee before firing off some follow-up strikes which resulted in referee Nick Berens stepping in. The result would go on to earn Royval one of three $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses awarded on the evening. It has since been announced Royval, who has now won three fights in a row, will be the backup fighter for the upcoming title bout between Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja scheduled for UFC 290 in early-July. Oddly enough, those are the two fighters which Royval's two most recent defeats have come against.
Royval had traditionally struggled against better competition over the course of his UFC run, so it was nice to see him pull an upset here against a talented opponent in Nicolau. A fighter not typically known for his stopping power, Royval crushed his opponent with a knee before firing off some follow-up strikes which resulted in referee Nick Berens stepping in. The result would go on to earn Royval one of three $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses awarded on the evening. It has since been announced Royval, who has now won three fights in a row, will be the backup fighter for the upcoming title bout between Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja scheduled for UFC 290 in early-July. Oddly enough, those are the two fighters which Royval's two most recent defeats have come against.