Manel Kape has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled fight against Brandon Royval at UFC 317 due to reasons that have not been disclosed. With Kape sidelined, rising contender Joshua Van has agreed to step in on short notice to face Royval at the event. This highly anticipated card is part of International Fight Week and is set to take place on June 28 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The confirmation of this new matchup came initially from Brandon Royval himself via social media on Monday, with additional sources later verifying to MMA Fighting that the bout is in the works following Kape`s withdrawal.
Commenting on the change, Royval stated, “Manel Kape is out, Joshua Van is stepping in. I have zero idea of the extent of Manel Kape’s injuries but I do know I have the hottest prospect and probably the most exciting UFC flyweight in front of me. Really nothing changes for me as far as what’s in front of me. I’ve got a gangster that’s ready to take my head off and earn his name off of me.”
Van is coming off a dominant performance just last weekend at UFC 316, where he secured an emphatic finish against Bruno Silva. This victory extended Van`s impressive winning streak to four consecutive fights. The 23-year-old fighter is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the flyweight division, and this fight against Royval represents a significant jump in the level of competition he will face.
Following Royval`s announcement, Van also confirmed his acceptance of the fight through his own social media channels.
Brandon Royval, a former title challenger in the flyweight division, remains a prominent figure near the top of the rankings. He currently holds a 2-0 record in his most recent appearances, including a notable win over former champion Brandon Moreno. Most recently, in October of the previous year, Royval engaged in a thrilling, back-and-forth five-round battle against Tatsuro Taira, which earned both fighters Fight of the Night honors.
The upcoming UFC 317 event is headlined by a pair of championship contests. Ilia Topuria will move up to the lightweight division to challenge Charles Oliveira for the vacant title, while flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja will put his belt on the line in a rematch against Kai Kara-France.
