Brandon Royval is expecting an action-packed scrap when he makes his octagon debut on Saturday night.
Former LFA flyweight champion Royval (10-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will step ito the UFC octagon for the first time when he takes on former 125-pound title challenger Tim Elliott (15-10-1 MMA, 4-8 UFC), at UFC on ESPN 9 in Las Vegas.
“I’ve watched pretty much all of his fights especially in the UFC but yeah, I’ve done a lot of just watching him,” Royval told MMA Junkie. “Honestly, I’m a huge fan of him, too. As far as flyweights go, he’s a fan-friendly fighter too. He does good for our division. … Everyone wants to see Tim Elliott fight, I feel like, so I just think all around I have a little bit the advantage because I watched way more video than he probably could have watched of me.”
The fights will be contested at the UFC Apex using the promotion’s slightly smaller 25-foot cage, which usually results in more action, especially with the constant movement of the flyweights.
And considering the fighting styles of both men, Royval says the fight looks sure to deliver plenty of action for the fans.
“I feel like Tim Elliott’s just a guy that moves forward and puts a lot of pressure on,” he said. “He’s exciting, he’s just gonna bring the action, so I can’t see a boring fight happening between us two at all. So I think it’s gonna be a very fan-friendly fight.”
UFC on ESPN 9 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
