The highly anticipated flyweight clash between Brandon Royval and Manel Kape is officially on.
It has been confirmed that Royval and Kape will finally meet in the octagon at UFC 317, a flyweight bout scheduled for June 28 in Las Vegas. News of the fight was initially reported by Laerte Viana.
These two fighters were previously set to headline UFC Vegas 103 in March, but Royval had to withdraw due to ongoing issues from past concussions. Kape instead fought Asu Almabayev as a late replacement, winning by TKO in the third round. Now that Royval is recovered, he and Kape will settle their rivalry at the T-Mobile Arena.
This matchup is considered a significant one in the flyweight division and could very well decide who gets the next shot at the 125-pound title currently held by Alexandre Pantoja. Royval, currently ranked No. 1 in the flyweight division, has secured two victories since his decision loss to champion Pantoja at UFC 296. Kape has also been on a strong run, winning six of his last eight fights since his own decision loss to Pantoja.
UFC 317 is the flagship event for the promotion’s annual International Fight Week. This Royval vs. Kape fight is the first major bout announced for the card, with more expected to be added in the coming weeks.
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