Brandon Royval passes 'beatable' verdict on flyweight champ Brandon Moreno, claims 'Mighty Mouse' would've still reigned (Exclusive)
Brandon Royval recently weighed in on how the current generation of fighters in the UFC's flyweight division compares to the previous generation of flyweights. While 'Raw Dawg' admitted to eulogizing the former champions, he claimed that the flyweight division is presently the "most exciting" it has ever been.
In an exclusive interview with Andrew Whitelaw of Sportskeeda MMA, Royval was asked about the intensity of the competition in the 125-pound division and if he'd consider himself among the golden generation of flyweights. Claiming that the title is currently open game, Brandon Royval answered:
"I think this is the most exciting the flyweight division has ever been. I do feel like the title shot's up for grabs right now. No disrespect for [Brandon] Moreno or anything but I feel like he's very beatable and a lot of people capable of doing that are on their way up."
When asked if Demetrious Johnson would reign as champion if he were still in the UFC, Royval stated:
"Absolutely. I feel like he'd be the king of the 135 and 145 [pound] divisions if he was fighting in the UFC. I put that guy on a pedestal."
Catch Brandon Royval's comments (6:45-7:30) below:
Brandon Royval next fight: 'Raw Dawg' on fighting Matheus Nicolau
The UFC's No.4-ranked flyweight Brandon Royval is set to face No.5-ranked Matheus Nicolau in a flyweight clash on the preliminary card at UFC Kansas City on April 15.
With champion Brandon Moreno scheduled to defend his title against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290, the winner of this weekend's flyweight bout could be next in line for a title shot.
In the same interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Brandon Royval revealed how important his next bout against Matheus Nicolau was to him and the division. Claiming that his next fight is a potential title eliminator, Royval said:
"Without considering Deiveson [Figueiredo] in the rankings, you're looking at No.3 vs. No.4 right now, fighting the title contender. No.2's [Kai Kara-France] coming off a loss, and also No.2 took an 'L' to me, so I think this is the next title contender fight."
Brandon Royval further named Matheus Nicolau's patience as the one quality that worried him. He also claimed that his next opponent's fighting style was a "mystery" that he looked forward to solving in the cage this weekend.
'Raw Dawg' is riding a two-fight win streak, last beating Matt Schnell via first-round submission at UFC 276. Meanwhile, his opponent is riding a four-fight win streak in the promotion. Nicolau also last beat Schnell at UFC Orlando via second-round knockout.
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