Athletes
Brandon Royval Wants This Life To Last Forever
Hoping To Get Back Into The Win Column And The Flyweight Title Picture, Brandon Royval Can’t Wait To Face A Familiar Foe In Mexico City
Brandon Royval has a bad taste in his mouth, and the only way he can get rid of it is to get into the Octagon and trade shots with a former champ. Just two months ago, Royval had his first crack at UFC gold, as well as his second go with Alexandre Pantoja, but fell short via decision. Now, he is days away from another rematch, this time in the main event against Brandon Moreno in Mexico City.
“I was in my feelings, just like, ‘Dang, I know I could beat Pantoja. I know I could win that. I know I'm championship level,’” Royval told UFC.com. “(UFC) called me, and they asked if I could fill in for this spot, and I was like, ‘This is what I wanted, anyway.’ It's just a perfect opportunity, a perfect moment, and it's just a perfect way for me to get a sour taste out of my mouth.”
Reflecting on his title fight against Pantoja, Royval gained a lot. Notably, he believes Pantoja edged him out because the champ made in-fight adjustments more quickly than he did. It’s something he knows he can do, but he waited on it just a hair too long and was unable to make up ground.
Reflecting on his title fight against Pantoja, Royval gained a lot. Notably, he believes Pantoja edged him out because the champ made in-fight adjustments more quickly than he did. It’s something he knows he can do, but he waited on it just a hair too long and was unable to make up ground.
Although Royval can’t turn the clock backwards, he can get a second run to a championship fight started on February 24. In the headlining bout at UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Royval, “Raw Dawg” can rectify his first loss in the Octagon. When Royval fought Moreno in November 2020, the two exchanged an entertaining first round of action before Royval’s shoulder dislocated, leading to a TKO victory for Moreno.
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Moreno would go on to begin his four-fight championship saga with Deiveson Figueiredo while Royval dropped his first bout with Pantoja before embarking on a three-fight run that led him to that initial title opportunity.
Royval said he rewatched his first encounter with “The Assassin Baby” but didn’t find much to take away, given the premature ending. He feels confident in his ability to strike with the former champ, and his eight submission wins speak to his abilities on the ground. For him, it’s just a matter of showing up on the day and making the most of the work he put in during camp.
“I just want to show what I can do,” he said. “I work really hard. I have a lot of skill sets, and I feel like for some reason I've yet to show it in the Octagon. I just want to show the world what I can do. I'm capable of really cool stuff, and I think it's just a good opportunity to kind of show up and show out.”
It’s easy to forget how quickly Royval shot up the flyweight ladder. In his promotional debut in May 2020, Royval submitted Tim Elliott and earned his first Fight of the Night bonus. Four months later on UFC Fight Island, Royval picked up another Fight of the Night bonus, along with another submission win — this time over Kai Kara-France. Suddenly, Royval found himself in the title picture at 125 pounds.
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With two tap out wins and $100k in bonus money in his pocket, Royval was finally able to train full-time. While the Factory X representative has seen his ups and downs since then, he hasn’t forgotten that he is living out his dream every single day.
“I want this to be (my life) forever,” Royval said. “I want this to last forever. I love being in the UFC. Sometimes, I wouldn't say I take it for granted, but it's just like I forget that the dream is to be here, you know? And there was a moment in time where I would kill to be in the position that I'm in. Sometimes, I wake up and I'm like, ‘Oh, I got to do this. I got to do that.’ And it's (actually) like, ‘Oh, I get to do this, I get to do that.’ I love this lifestyle. I love what I do. I love waking up and being able to train every day, and I just want to keep doing that. I wish I could do it forever.”
While any athlete’s life is finite, Royval hopes to get back to his all-action self in Mexico City. Moreno is sure to have the wealth of the crowd’s support, but Royval said he is getting his share of love, as well.
The self-described “most entertaining” fighter in the division can’t wait to do the dance with a familiar partner on February 24, and although he can’t bank on how many chances he gets to do something like this, he sure is going to enjoy every single moment.
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Royval 2 took place live from Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico on February 24, 2024. See the Prelims / Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
