Brandon Royval and Manel Kape are set to headline a UFC Fight Night on March 1 in Las Vegas, with the bout potentially determining the No. 1 contender, as both fighters express their ambitions for a title shot through social media.
Brandon Royval and Manel Kape are set for a thrilling No. 1 contender’s bout. It’s the main event for an upcoming UFC Fight Night card on March 1 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. Exciting, right?
Several insiders confirmed to MMA Fighting that this fight is in the works. No contracts signed yet, though. Ag. Fight broke the news first.
Royval took to social media, expressing his determination for another title shot. He’s faced champion Alexandre Pantoja twice already. Talk about persistence!
“At the end of the day, I got the toughest résumé since I signed to the UFC,” Royval declared. “Y’all going to learn to put some respect on my name. Only top 10 fighters. 4th main event in a row.”
Since his loss to Pantoja in 2023, Royval has been on a roll with two back-to-back wins. He outlasted former champ Brandon Moreno and then took down undefeated prospect Tatsuro Taira.
Kape also chimed in on social media, though he didn’t mention Royval directly. “He has to be quiet, he won’t fight for the belt,” Kape wrote in response to Royval’s title ambitions. Bold words!
“He will do what we are telling him to do,” Kape continued. “March 1 main event.” Feisty!
After a setback against Muhammad Mokaev last July, Kape bounced back impressively. He stopped Bruno Silva in the third round at UFC Tampa, closing out 2024 with style.
Kape boasts a solid 5-1 record in his last six fights. One more win could finally earn him a shot at UFC gold. Fingers crossed!