Brandon Royval offers to help Tatsuro Taira become champion in incredible gesture after UFC Vegas 98: "More than welcome to stay at my house"
Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira clashed in a five-round war that headlined UFC Vegas 98 on Oct. 12, 2024. Following their thrilling 125-pound showdown, Royval suggested that he'd offer Taira any help the latter needed in his quest to become a world champion.
Royval challenged UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja for the title in their rematch in December 2023 and was beaten via unanimous decision. He then defeated ex-divisional kingpin Brandon Moreno via split decision in their rematch in February 2024.
'Raw Dawg's' next fight, also his most recent one, was a split decision victory over Taira at UFC Vegas 98, marking Taira's first MMA defeat.
During his post-fight octagon interview with Michael Bisping, Brandon Royval, who's previously trained with Tatsuro Taira, extended a friendly offer to him by stating:
"Taira, you're the f**king man. Taira, you ever need a place to train, anytime you're in Colorado. You need anything -- a ride, a f**king anything, I'm there for you. You're going to become a champion. And I hope I can help you one day, bro."
Check out Royval's comments during his post-fight octagon interview below:
During the UFC Vegas 98 post-fight press conference, Brandon Royval added:
"I told the man, anything he needs. He comes to Colorado, I've trained with him before ... Anything he needs, anything that I could do to help him get that belt, anything, he needs a ride, he needs a f**king place to stay, he needs food, any of that, he's more than welcome to stay at my house. He's more than welcome to borrow my car. He's more than welcome for me to drop him off."
Royval noted that Taira was training in different places and trying his best to become a champion as evidenced by his impressive performance at UFC Vegas 98. The UFC flyweight staple further alluded to how Taira was securing highlight reel finishes against others but had to level up to fight him, which he feels the Japanese combatant did and will continue doing.
Watch Royval discuss the topic during his post-fight press conference below:
Brandon Royval's new team and Tatsuro Taira could elevate each other
Speaking to James Lynch for Sportskeeda MMA in August 2024, Brandon Royval addressed his departure from the Colorado-based Factory X. Royval implied that he was still on good terms with the gym. For his part, 'Raw Dawg' highlighted that he has a small crew of people he works with and hadn't zeroed in on a particular gym per se.
Watch Brandon Royval address the topic below (9:15):
Considering the variables at play, the belief is that Brandon Royval's former training partner, Okinawa's Tatsuro Taira, could be an excellent addition to Royval's blossoming team. After their fight, Royval extended an invitation to Taira on ESPN MMA's 'UFC Post Show' as well, underscoring that he'd love to help Taira in his journey.
Watch Brandon Royval's ESPN appearance below: