UFC presenter Megan Olivi reacts as Brandon Royval will headline UFC Vegas 98 against surging contender Tatsuro Taira
Brandon Royval is set to take on fellow top-ranked flyweight contender Tatsuro Taira in the main event of UFC Vegas 98 in October. The clash will pit a former title challenger against a touted title contender in what should be a thrilling contest.
At just 24 years old and with an MMA record of 16-0, Taira is one of the hottest prospects in the promotion right now. With four finishes in his six UFC fights, as well as three performance bonuses, the Japanese fighter certainly brings the action.
Royval is known for his energetic fighting style, so their bout could produce fireworks. Following the UFC's official announcement of the UFC Vegas 98 main event, presenter Megan Olivi shared her excitement for fight night.
The UFC took to Instagram and announced this:
"Huge flyweight news, No.1 Brandon Royval and No.5 Tatsuro Taira are set to headline UFC Vegas 98."
See the UFC's post below:
Longtime presenter for the promotion, Olivi, reacted with the following:
"What a fight!!! Love this"
Brandon Royval discusses Muhammad Mokaev's exit from the UFC
Muhammad Mokaev was surprisingly left to explore other MMA promotions after fighting out his current contract with the UFC.
'The Punisher' was one of the brightest prospects in the promotion across all weight classes, with an undefeated 13-0-1 record at just 24 years old. But his UFC 304 clash with Manel Kape was his final appearance in the octagon, at least for now, as UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the promotion wouldn't re-sign him.
White hinted that Mokaev had greatly annoyed matchmakers behind the scenes, something that the flyweight contender appeared to confirm.
But Brandon Royval believes that Mokaev's scuffle with Kape at the UFC Performance Institute in March may have played a major role in the promotion's decision not to re-sign him.
'Raw Dog' was recently interviewed by Sportskeeda MMA's James Lynch, where he said this:
"I did know before everyone else that the Manel Kape thing [incident at the UFC PI] happened . I knew that they were keeping it secret and buried the hatchet. They were trying to act like it never happened [to the UFC]. That sh*t definitely happened, everyone at the PI was telling me about it."
Catch Brandon Royval's comments below (4:10):