The highly anticipated flyweight match between Brandon Royval and Manel Kape is officially on.
MMA Fighting confirmed on Thursday that Royval and Kape will finally face each other in a significant flyweight bout at UFC 317, scheduled for June 28 in Las Vegas. News of the fight was initially reported by Laerte Viana.
These two fighters were previously scheduled to headline UFC Vegas 103 in March, but Royval had to withdraw due to lingering concussion issues. Kape instead fought Asu Almabayev as a late replacement, winning by TKO in the third round. Now that Royval is healthy, the two are ready to settle their rivalry at the T-Mobile Arena.
This matchup is considered crucial for the flyweight division and could very well decide who gets the next shot at Alexandre Pantoja`s 125-pound championship. 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, with one of his losses also being a decision against Pantoja.
UFC 317 is the promotion`s annual International Fight Week event. This Royval vs Kape fight is the first major bout announced for the card, with more expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.
