KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Brandon Royval doesn’t see how he wouldn’t be next in line for the flyweight title with a win at UFC on ESPN 44.
Royval (14-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) faces fellow top-five flyweight Matheus Nicolau (19-3-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) on Saturday’s prelims at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
With Alexandre Pantoja getting the title shot against champion Brandon Moreno, and Deiveson Figueiredo having just lost his belt, Royval doesn’t see any other viable contenders. The only other flyweight ranked above him is Kai Kara-France, whom he submitted at UFC 253.
“Who else is there?” Royval asked MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “If Figgy doesn’t stay at flyweight, then I’m the next highest up there. I mean Kai Kara-France is ahead of me, but he’s coming off a loss and I already beat him. So it’s like, who else is there?”
Royval wants to either be declared the No. 1 contender with a win or serve as the backup fighter for Moreno’s upcoming title defense against Pantoja at UFC 290 on July 8. Royval’s two most recent losses have come to Pantoja and Moreno.
“I go out there and make a statement, I think this is a title contention fight, and at the very least I’m weighing in as a backup for that fight,” Royval said. “So I don’t see any other result. If I beat Matheus Nicolau and make a statement, which I’ve done in all my UFC wins, I don’t know who else would be in contention for that.”
Like Nicolau, Royval is surprised to see their fight end up on the prelims. The 30-year-old boasts an almost 86 percent finish rate and has notched three bonuses in his six UFC fights.
“I think we’re the second-highest ranked people on this whole entire card,” Royval said. “And it’s like if we’re trying to build up the flyweight division, I think putting us in the limelight would be a good idea. Especially considering how much title implications this fight does have. So, I thought that was a little weird, and if we’re building up this division, let’s build it up.
“If we’re building this division, let’s put the most exciting fighter in the flyweight division in one of the top spots and that’s me. I’ve made statements time after time, and I think I proved at the very least I’m the most exciting flyweight in this division. If I have to go out there and do that again, well, I’m gonna do that no matter what.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 44.
