Brandon Royval has worked tirelessly to get where he is today. Now, the question is whether he can finish what he started.
Known as “Raw Dawg,” Royval is set to compete for the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight title. He’s going up against Alexandre Pantoja in a rematch at UFC 296. The event takes place this Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Royval, at the age of 31, has secured three consecutive victories. This streak comes after he submitted to a second-round rear-naked choke from Pantoja in their first encounter in 2021. His last fight was on April 15, where he took down Matheus Nicolau with a first-round knee strike and follow-up punches at UFC on ESPN 44.
As Royval prepares for his second face-off with Pantoja, it’s worth looking at some of the rivalries that have shaped his career.
Firstly, there’s Casey Kenney. The MMA Lab standout used well-timed takedowns, a crushing top game, and punishing ground-and-pound to beat Royval by unanimous decision for the interim Legacy Fighting Alliance flyweight championship. This happened at the LFA 53 headliner on Nov. 9, 2018, at Comerica Theatre in Phoenix.
Next up is Nate Williams. Royval bounced back and captured the vacant Legacy Fighting Alliance flyweight championship. He did this in spectacular fashion by submitting Williams with an armbar in the first round of their LFA 79 main event on Nov. 22, 2019.
Then there’s Brandon Moreno. Moreno was awarded a technical knockout over Royval in the first round of their featured UFC 255 prelim on Nov. 21, 2020. Royval suffered a dislocated shoulder during an intense ground exchange and couldn’t physically defend himself, leading to the stoppage.
Lastly, Rogerio Bontorin. Royval rebounded from back-to-back losses and advanced in the 125-pound weight class with a contentious split decision over Bontorin. This took place in a three-round UFC on ESPN 32 showcase on Jan. 15, 2022. Royval nearly submitted the Gile Ribeiro-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with an armbar in the third round. His efforts were enough to win over two of the three scorecards and put him back on the road to contention.