Brandon Royval vs. the elite: Can he capture UFC gold in 2024?
MMA is a sport that embraces the risk takers and encourages fighters to develop new skills and keep on fighting through the hardships. Over the past few years, there are very few fighters who can be associated with such characteristics as much as the current UFC flyweight Brandon Royval. Best known for his power, unorthodox movement and a never-say-die attitude, Royval has emerged as one of the most entertaining fighters in the flyweight division. As he keeps on climbing the ladder, the one question that remains on everyone’s lips is whether 2024 could be the year that Brandon Royval becomes the UFC champion. This article also details Royval’s UFC career, his bouts against the cream of the flyweight division and the challenges he has to face to claim the title. The Road to UFC for Brandon Royval Brandon Royval was born in Denver, Colorado and was exposed to the martial arts at an early age, which paved the way to his mixed martial arts journey. Training under the guidance of his coach Marc Montoya at Factory X, Royval started his professional career as a fighter in local shows and then moved to the big platform of UFC. From the start, Royval was more comfortable in fast, back-and-forth bouts. The nickname he had, “Raw Dawg,” was given to him because of his aggressive approach and desire to engage in a brawl whether it is on the feet or on the ground. This man possessed a very unique set of attributes such as innovation, vigor, and stamina that would later on make him one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC. Royval was able to fight in promotions such as the Legacy Fighting Alliance where he won the flyweight title and was signed by the UFC in 2020. His debut match was against Tim Elliott, a former UFC Flyweight title challenger with a weird style and a never give up attitude. Royval was able to submit his opponent in the second round thus proving that he can handle the pressure of the UFC and that he is a great grappler. This was a statement victory and one that should have people taking note of Royval as a prospect in the flyweight division. The Journey of the UFC Flyweight Division. After a great start to his career, Royval was among the most promising fighters in the flyweight division. His next fight was against Kai Kara-France, a New Zealand based fighter who was already a part of the UFC top 10. In one of the most entertaining flyweight bouts that fans have seen in the recent past, Royval and Kara-France engaged in a fierce exchange that saw the two nearly land the knockout blow. Royval was able to get the victory by submitting his opponent in the second round with a guillotine choke which made him get his second successive win in the UFC and also received the Performance of the Night bonus. The fight was a perfect example of why the fans and analysts had grown to love Royval – the man was not afraid to push the pace, to take risks and to look for the finish in what often became a wild brawl. His victory over Kara-France elevated him to the top of the flyweight division and he would be challenged with even tougher opponents. But every rising in the level of competition brings about new challenges and Royval’s path to the top of the division was no different. The Setbacks: This is the Fight Against the Crème de la Crème of the Flyweight Division Every fighter has his or her share of victories and losses on the way to the title and Royval is no exception. After his victory over Kara-France, Royval was scheduled to fight Brandon Moreno, a contender in the division. This was a big bout because both men were looking to secure themselves a title shot. However, Royval got a dislocated shoulder in the fight and thus Moreno won by TKO in the first round. This was a big blow for Royval not only in the physical aspect but also in the psychological aspect. But even in the fight, and especially during the last few seconds before the injury, one could see that he is on the same level with the division’s elite. Moreno would later on defeat the current flyweight champion making Royval’s loss to him quite reasonable. Still, it was a reminder of how unforgiving the sport of MMA is where a single mishap or an injury can put a fighter out of action. Royval came back to the Octagon for the second time in 2021 after recovering from a shoulder injury to fight Alexandre Pantoja, another flyweight contender who had already proved himself in the division. The fight was another tough contest and Pantoja was able to submit his opponent in the second round. Again, Royval showed that he is a warrior and a true athlete as he tried to knock out Pantoja but failed and was submitted in the process. It was hard for Royval to go through these back-to-back losses, but at the same time, these losses were beneficial to him in terms of learning. The flyweight division is one of the most competitive divisions in the UFC and to win the title a fighter has to be able to learn, develop and bounce back from a loss. It was therefore not a surprise to see that Royval was able to do just that in his subsequent fights. The Comeback: Revival and the Main Triumphs. After suffering defeats at the hands of Moreno and Pantoja, people questioned whether Royval would be able to regain his form and keep on climbing the ladder in the flyweight division. This being a true reflection of the character that Royval is, he did not back down. However, he decided to take the time and increase his training to enhance his grappling and striking defence while at the same time keeping his aggressive fighting style.
Brandon Royval’s unpredictable fighting style: Can anyone prepare for him?
Brandon Royval is the name that has remained constant in the UFC flyweight division due to this style of fighting that is unarguably fast-paced and unpredictable. The Colorado native has gained a lot of fans in a short span not only due to his flair for the dramatic but also due to the shenanigans that he creates inside the cage. While many fighters work towards the scientific dismantling of their foes through their drilling, Royval enjoys chaos, which is why he builds an insurmountable pressure that turns into a headache for his foes. For a fighter, Royval loves the unknown and loves to keep his opponent guessing with his excellent striking, takedowns and constant pressure. His fights are not very organized and look more like an uncoordinated brawl and not the exchanges that two fighters have with one another, this makes it very hard for any opponent to prepare for him. The question that lingers over the UFC flyweight division is simple but profound: Is there anybody that can prepare for Brandon Royval? This article focuses on the aspects of Royval’s fighting and discusses what makes him such a dangerous and unpredictable fighter, what difficulties his opponents have when preparing for the battle with him, and whether it is possible to find a way to counter this strategy. Brandon Royval’s Journey: The Journey from LFA Champion to UFC Contender Now before going into the details of Royval’s stand up game, it is crucial to look at the background to his development as a fighter. For the young man from Alberta who is now a UFC contender, the road to the big leagues was not that easy. Hailing from Denver, Colorado, Royval discovered mixed martial arts as a means of redirecting his aggression and enthusiasm for competition. Like most UFC fighters, Royval had to begin his journey at the regional level, and he was a part of Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA). This was the time in LFA that Royval started to emerge especially after dethroning the LFA Flyweight Champion. He was famous for his wild and effective performance that most of the time made his opponents lose their ability to respond to his pace. The success in LFA along with his flamboyant style of fighting got him a UFC contract in the year 2020. Royval’s first fight in the UFC was against Tim Elliott who is also a very experienced fighter with a unique style. This fight was one of the most entertaining flyweight fights of the year and Royval submitted Elliott in the second round, proving that he belongs to the world’s top level MMA. Since that moment, Royval has been a permanent resident of the top UFC flyweight division opponents and has been providing the fans with exciting fights. What Is Behind Brandon Royval’s Unpredictability? It is not easy to define the fighting style of Brandon Royval. While some fighters are known for their ground game, stand up game or defensive game Royval has it all plus a little bit of madness that other fighters can only dream of. His consistency issues can be attributed to several fundamental factors of his play that present different difficulties to his rivals. 1. Unorthodox Striking The striking of Royval is very unorthodox in the most exciting way possible. Unlike most of the fighters in the flyweight division, he does not rely on the textbook style that is common in the division. Nevertheless, he has a great set of punches: a straight right, left hook, devastating angles, and incredible combinations. He delivers spinning back elbow, flying knee and other flurries that seem to come out of nowhere to his opponents. Another thing which can be pointed out in the process of analysis of Royval’s striking is the fact that he takes a lot of risks. He often delivers punches from stances that most fighters would consider as being disadvantageous or vulnerable. For instance, Royval will often use flying knees or spinning attacks during the time when his opponent is trying to apply pressure, and that’s why it is nearly impossible to guess what he will do next. This makes sure that Royval’s opponents are always uncomfortable, do not get to relax or find their comfort zone at all. This inconsistency in his strikes has seen Royval have some spectacular victories in his career such as the first-round TKO win over Kai Kara-France at UFC 253. Finally, in that fight, Royval was able to switch up his striking and keep constant pressure on Kara-France who had no answer to the constant flurries being thrown at him from all angles. 2. Relentless Pace If there’s one word that’s used often to describe Brandon Royval’s fighting style, it is ‘pace’. Royval is a very fast fighter and he knows it. Royval is on the move, he is attacking and foremost he is making his opponent adapt to his style of fighting whether it is on the feet or on the ground. Such a pace puts pressure on his opponents and makes them make mistakes or leave gaps that Royval can exploit. With grappling exchanges, you have to worry about Royval’s output even more. Most of the fighters especially in the flyweight division are familiar with scrambles and the rapid exchange of grappling but Royval pushes it to the next level. He never appears to run out of breath, actively searching for an opponent’s submission, transition or strike even in the most disorderly setting. This pace is best illustrated in the fight between Royval and Brandon Moreno where the fighters traded blows in takedowns and striking all through the fight. Though Royval was forced to tap in the second round due to an injury on his shoulder, the pace and pressure that he displayed in the fight will show that even the best in the division will not be able to handle him for a full five round fight. 3. Creative Grappling and Submission Threats Brandon Royval’s wrestling is as random as his striking. A Brazilian
