The UFC is done for 2024 in terms of fights but the promotion is hard at work booking fights for the first few months of the year. Tonight, we learned of a massive flyweight fight where a title shot is definitely going to be on the line.
AG Fight first reported earlier this evening that former title challenger Brandon "Raw Dawg" Royval (17-7) will be taking on "Starboy" Manel Kape (20-7). The fight is expected to headline a Fight Night that will take place on March 1st.
Starting with Manel Kape, we just saw him less than a week ago at UFC Tampa. Kape took on Bruno Silva and he put on the best performance he's had inside the octagon. Kape looked flash and he was incredibly entertaining as he finished Silva in the third round. He wanted a title shot, but a title eliminator is the next best thing.
Speaking of title shots, that's what Brandon Royval was wanting following the Alexandre Pantoja - Kai Asakura title fight a couple of weeks ago. That said, Royval knew it would be a tough ask if Pantoja retained the title and that's exactly what happened.
While Royval is the number one ranked contender in the UFC's flyweight division, he's lost to Pantoja twice in the last couple of years. That said, Royval has had an incredible year. Following his title loss to Pantoja last December, Royval bounced back in 2024 with main event wins over former champ Brandon Moreno and rising contender Tatsuro Taira. Now, he'll take on Kape and if he wins, you won't be able to deny him.