UFC 274: Brandon Royval Wants Title Shot Next, Prefers Brandon Moreno

Phoenix, AZ – After what turned out to be a wild fight on the ESPN prelims UFC flyweight Brandon Royval survived an early scare from Matt Schnell to win the fight via submission in the first round on Saturday at UFC 274.

“That’s how I fight it’s always just some craziness. It’s never normal, it’s never just in and out, it’s always some craziness happening in there,” Royval told reporters in his post-fight scrum.

“I feel great. It’s the first time ever just…to make that walk, to make that UFC walk for the first time in front of a crowd, in front of an audience. Play my song and then I had the rare circumstances that I was able to get fans by the time I was able to make my first walk. It was just a moment I dreamed of my whole entire life. I just wish I could relive it honestly.”

Going into the fight it was known that Schnell had recently lost his mother just weeks before the fight. Royval had no idea until after the bout.

“I didn’t hear the story honestly. I have a really big special place in my heart for Matt Schnell. I’ve watched him forever. Before I got to the UFC won the LFA belt and he was one of the fighters tweeting. He’s like, ‘Let’s go Brandon Royval. Brandon Royval deserves to be signed’. It was one of those fighters, I didn’t want to fight him. I kept putting him on a pedestal,” Royval said.

“It’s hard to not admire a guy like that. He’s been around forever. I didn’t hear the story about his mom. F*ck man, it makes me feel even worse.”

Royval expressed a want for a title shot in the cage and continued it in his post-fight scrum.

“I just want the quickest route to the title shot. I heard they’re doing an interim title shot between Kai Kara-France and Brandon Moreno. Mine and Brandon Moreno’s fight was close. I was literally on top of the guy when my shoulder popped out throwing hammer fists. Kai Kara-France, I beat him everywhere. I dropped him and also choked him out. Yeah I want to be the backup for that fight and I deserve my top 5 spot back for sure,” Royval said.

Both men would be a good fight for Royval, but he didn’t mince words when he said who he preferred to face out of the two.

“I want to fight Brandon Moreno next. That would be ideal. I think me and him have unfinished business. I was literally on top of the guy when my shoulder popped out. He’s literally the greatest kid ever, but that being said I want an opportunity to fight him,” Royval said.

“Just see what happens and I think we have unfinished business.”

Watch the full UFC 274 post-fight press conference appearance by Brandon Royval above. More coverage from the event can be found below.