Brandon Royval Ready for “Hell” in UFC Fight Night 212 Bout

Posted on: October 14, 2022, 06:49h. 

Last updated on: October 14, 2022, 01:56h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

Saturday will deliver the UFC to Las Vegas for UFC Fight Night 212. Among the fights on the card will be flyweight contender Brandon Royval, who said on Wednesday that he’s ready for “hell” in his battle with Askar Askarov.

UFC fighter Brandon Royval
UFC fighter Brandon Royval celebrates after winning a bout earlier this year. He’s back in the octagon on Saturday for UFC Fight Night 212. (Image: UFC)

UFC fighters try to avoid taking damage as much as possible in a fight. However, Royval (14-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) plans to do just the opposite. He has a hectic and wild fighting style, and admits that he expects to take damage when he faces Askarov (14-1-1 MMA, 3-1-1 UFC).

Also on the card in the women’s fights is a contest between Alexa Grasso (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) and Viviane Araujo (11-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC). Grasso is on her way up and is ready for a shot at the title.

Royval Ready to Get Messy

After joining the UFC in 2020, Royval blazed a path to become a title contender. He took out Tim Elliott and Kai Kara-France in his first two appearances before dropping back-to-back bouts to Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja.

Royval quickly recovered from the slump and earned wins over Rogerio Bontorin and Matt Schnell. Considering the win/loss split and his current momentum, he believes this Saturday could prove to be his best performance to date.

It’s not going to be an easy contest, however, and Royval is going to face some stiff competition. He’s ranked fifth, just behind his opponent. Askarov took the first loss of his career this past March when he barely lost to Kara-France by decision.

Askarov will likely make adjustments against Royval and be more methodical. This could give him an edge, which is why DraftKings and BetMGM give him the advantage at -240 and -275, respectively. Royval is far out on the other side, getting +200 and +210.

The UFC’s flyweight battle still doesn’t have a clear leader. There are several candidates in contention, with another upcoming match set to possibly tip the scales.

Champion Deiveson Figueiredo and former champion Brandon Moreno will face each other for the fourth time on January 21 at UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They each have a win, a loss, and a draw, and this bout will be one of the most-watched in recent history.

Grasso Confident in Title Shot

Grasso meets Araujo in the main event on Saturday. This is an important matchup for both, and it comes just a week before Katlyn Chookagian and Manon Fiorot face off at UFC 280.

Both of those bouts could set the stage for a future title fight in the women’s flyweight division. If Grasso is able to emerge victorious on Saturday, she’s confident that she will have a real shot at claiming the crown.

Grasso is 3-0 since moving up from strawweight two years ago. She secured key wins against tough competitors like Joanne Wood, Maycee Barber, and Ji Yeon Kim, but said the upcoming fight could define her as a fighter.

Araujo, who is in sixth place, has had four bouts in the last two years, all decided on the scorecards. The Brazilian beat Montana de la Rosa, Roxanne Modafferi, and Angela Lee, but lost to Katlyn Chookagyan last year.

All results were by unanimous decision. If she wants to keep Grasso from completing her title run, Araujo will have to be more aggressive in the octagon.

Based on her performances, oddsmakers don’t believe she’ll be able to do it. Grasso is out in front, getting -230 at Caesars and BetRivers. Araujo is +190 and +180, respectively.

The fight card led by Grasso and Araujo will also include the bantamweight fights of veteran Cub Swanson against Jonathan Martínez. In addition, Piera Rodríguez will defend her undefeated record (8-0) against Sam Hughes.