One of the most anticipated bouts at UFC on ESPN 44 didn’t last long thanks to the striking prowess of Brandon Royval.
On the preliminary portion of the card at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., Royval (15-6 MMA, 5-2 UFC) made quick work of Matheus Nicolau. The flyweight bout fight aired on ESPN+, before the main card on ESPN.
Royval landed a crushing knee to drop Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC), and immediately followed up with hard elbows on the mat to get the knockout stoppage at 2:09 of the opening round.