Top-5 ranked fighter with 87% finish rate claims he'll be UFC champion by next year

UFC flyweight Brandon Royval spoke to TMZ, and outlined his plans for the immediate future. After taking some time off to travel and enjoy life, Royval plans to get back into the octagon and continue his pursuit of UFC gold.

Speaking to TMZ, he said:

"Your boy wants to fight for a belt too. Absolutely, if not, it's next year. As soon as whoever wins that fight is ready to go, I'm taking them out, for sure. I'm going to defend my belt a few times and then, sail off into the sunset."

Check out the entire interview here:

Royval is coming off an impressive knockout win over fellow flyweight contender, Matheus Nicolau. He finished Nicolau in the first round, further bolstering his reputation as an explosive fighter who is not afraid to take risks.

Royval's fighting style is highly exciting and he isn't afraid to give one to take one, so to speak. On the ground, he boasts an incredibly offensive skillset and constantly chases submissions, giving fans some of the most exciting scrambles in MMA today.

Given Royval's fan-friendly style, watching him compete for the UFC belt is something every fan will be excited for.

Check out Brandon Royval's first-round knockout over Matheus Nicolau here:

THAT KNEE FROM ROYVAL 😱 #UFCKansasCity https://t.co/H4LcyfaKO3

UFC Flyweight champ Brandon Moreno to face Alexandre Pantoja, Brandon Royval eagerly awaiting the winner

Royval's championship dreams are still very much alive, and he will have to wait to see what happens when champion Brandon Moreno faces rival Alexandre Pantoja later this year.

A flyweight title fight between Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja is set for UFC 290 on July 8 in Las Vegas, UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell confirmed to @marcraimondimma.

The instagram account freak.mma/IG first reported the news. https://t.co/Gp5bB2bPIe

The pair will battle it out at UFC 290 in Las Vegas, set to take place on July 8th. With Pantoja already holding a win over Moreno in the past, the champion will be eager to get this one back.

Brandon Royval has lost to both Moreno and Pantoja and so he'll be an eager viewer and will be itching to get into the octagon to fight for the belt, regardless of opponent.

Royval lost to Moreno via TKO, and was submitted by Pantoja. Despite his losses, his style all but guarantees an exciting fight, irrespective of opponent.