A key fight in the UFC’s flyweight division is set to unfold this October.
Ranked flyweights Brandon Royval (14-6) and Askar Askarov (14-1-1) are set to face off at a UFC Fight Night event on October 15, 2022. Iridium Sports Agency, who represent Royval, announced the news on Wednesday.
Askarov is ranked #4 at flyweight in the UFC’s official rankings, while Royval sits at #5.
Royval will be seeking his third straight win in the bout. “Raw Dawg” has put together victories over Rogerio Bontorin and Matt Schnell, the latter of which earned Fight of the Night honors.
Russian Askarov will enter the fight off the first loss of his professional fighting career. One of a horde of talents from Russia’s Dagestan region, Askarov finally stumbled against Kai Kara-France when they met at at UFC Columbus back in March.
Prior to that loss, the only blemish on Askarov’s record was a draw with Brandon Moreno, which came in his promotional debut. Coincidentally, Moreno and Kara-France faced off this past weekend for an interim flyweight title, with Moreno coming out on top and setting up a date with Deiveson Figueiredo down the line.
A win for either Royval or Askarov this October could land them in the mix for the next title shot, though Alexandre Pantoja also made a statement recently.
The UFC’s October 15 card hasn’t seen a venue, location, or broadcast plan announced by the promotion, but the following bouts have been reported for the event:
- Angela Hill vs. Lupita Godinez
- Sam Hughes vs. Piera Rodríguez
- Cub Swanson vs. Jonathan Martinez
- Brandon Royval vs. Askar Askarov
