“Raw Dawg” is extra motivated.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval collides with surging 125-pound contender Lone’er Kavanagh on the main card of UFC 329 this weekend inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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And according to Royval, he saw this one coming from a mile away.
During UFC 329 media day today (watch here), Royval revealed he had a feeling Kavanagh would be his next opponent immediately after Kavanagh beat the brakes off former two-time Flyweight champion Brandon Moreno at UFC Mexico City.
“I could see it coming,” Royval told the media. “As soon as that fight was over, I was sure they were going to present it to me. I knew we were fighting literally the next day after his win over Moreno, so yeah, they made that fight quick.”
Royval is coming off back-to-back losses for just the second time in his professional career and is looking to rebound in a big way. But for him, this is not just another fight.
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It feels personal.
Royval believes UFC is trying to push him out of the Top 5 Flyweight rankings by matching him with a dangerous, surging contender like Kavanagh.
“I’ve always been this way, but this is personal,” Royval said. “This is someone trying to take my spot. I’ve been in the Top 5 in this division for like four to five years — I don’t know, but most of my UFC career I’ve been in the Top 5 — and I take it personally that they are trying to push me out. It’s my job to make a statement and stay in there.”
On paper, UFC’s matchmaking makes sense.
Kavanagh is red hot after dominating Moreno, while Royval is still one of the most proven and entertaining Flyweights in the world. It is a classic rankings-protection fight for one guy and a rankings-breakthrough fight for the other.
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It is also basically guaranteed violence.
Royval knows exactly why UFC made the matchup.
“They made this fight because it’s exciting, and that is what is going to happen — there’s a reason they booked this fight so far out and right after he won,” Royval said. “This is an exciting fight to make, and this is what they want. It’s why I get paid, why I’m here. The opportunity is to fill my pocket full of cash, make a statement, and put on another high-level, exciting fight.”
That is usually what Royval does.
Win or lose, “Raw Dawg” has been one of the most reliable action fighters in the Flyweight division for years. But at UFC 329, he is not just fighting to entertain.
He is fighting to keep his spot.
To checkout the latest and greatest UFC 329: “McGregor vs. Holloway 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
