Top ranked flyweights will look to battle for the #1 contender spot as Brandon Royval and Manel Kape are reportedly set for a UFC Vegas 103 on March 1.
First reported by AGFight.
Kape (20-7) made a statement at UFC Tampa where he finishes Bruno Silva via first round TKO. Kape has never challenged for a title in the UFC since joining the promotion. He entered the UFC following a 6-3 run in RIZIN capping it off with a title victory over recent UFC title challenger Kai Asakura.
Royval (17-7) has put together two consecutive victories following his first shot at Alexandre Pantoja’s UFC flyweight title at UFC 296. The fight was their second meeting and second time Royval lost to Pantoja.
Pantoja scored a third title defense at UFC 310 on Dec 7 where he turned back former RIZIN bantamweight champion Kai Asakura.
Royval was in attendance at UFC 310 watching the main event with a real shot at a trilogy bout with Pantoja.
“They let me go up and talk to him right after the fight. That’s what they didn’t show on camera,” Royval told MMAFighting.
“Me and him were talking as soon as he went out of the cage, they let me go up there and do that. That’s what he said, ‘you’re next, you deserve the title shot next.’ That’s what he said and that’s the truth.”
Looks like Royval will have to prove himself one more time to earn a second title shot.
Bouts set for UFC Vegas 103:
- Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape (Reported, but not official)
- Montana De La Rosa vs. Luana Carolina
- Lucas Almeida vs. Danny Silva
- Cody Brundage vs. Ryan Loder
- William Gomis vs. Hyder Amil
- Danny Barlow vs. Sam Patterson
