Ultimate Fighting Championship sometimes a flyweight title match
Joshua Van and Manel Cape
at UFC 336 January 30, 2027 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Speaking on ‘The Ariel Helwani Show’, Royval said he is getting in shape and preparing to lift weights for the event.
Brandon Royval prepares to make weight in Toronto as Joshua Van and Manel Kape meet for the UFC flyweight title.
“I’m the backup,” Royval said. “I’m fit right now, after this week I’ll start losing weight. And yeah, we’ll see.”
Royval (18-9) has lost to both Van and Kape. The former title contender pounced in July, giving Lone’er Kavanagh a naked back choke.
UFC 329but not sure who to face next.
“I don’t know what else I’m going to do,” Royval said. “I’m in a weird situation where the people in front of me are beating me and then I beat almost everyone behind me. So I’m waiting for a few fights to develop before I even get an opponent.”
The 34-year-old said he had considered it Asu Almabayev potential opponent but wouldn’t have expected him to be sidelined for so long with injury. In the meantime, Royval sees the backup role as an opportunity to stay in the title picture.
“A backup is definitely something I want because there’s a chance that people will walk away from fights and there’s a chance that someone will get hurt or whatever it is,” Royval said. “It’s a situation that will keep me in the title picture for at least a little while and make me look at the champion and the championship.”
Royval sees Kape as the more likely fighter to win early, but favors Van as the match drags on.
“If it ends early, Kape will knock him out, and if not, it’s going to be so hard for Van to be able to handle it,” Royval said.
