Moreno, Royval run it back

Elite flyweights Brandon Moreno and Brandon Royval will ‘run it back’ when they meet for a second time, headlining a UFC Fight Night at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City on the morning of Sunday 25 February 2024.

Moreno (21-7-2) is looking to bounce back from losing the flyweight title to Alexandre Pantoja via split decision midway through 2023 and will be chasing a second win over Royval, having defeated his opponent via first-round TKO back in November 2020.

Fighting on ‘home soil’ in Mexico, the 30-year-old is hoping to win and earn a shot at taking the belt back from Pantoja: “I don’t see another guy [at flyweight] closer than me,” he explained, before adding: “Even Royval, he lost [his fight] for the title recently, so I don’t know. I think it’s very clear I’m the next for the title, but I have to make a statement [against Royval].”

Royval (15-7) was also beaten by Pantoja (via unanimous decision) when the pair met for the new champion’s first title defence in December last year – a result which ended a run of three straight wins for ‘Raw Dawg’.

The 31-year-old insists that his loss to Moreno just under three and a half years ago was not a fair reflection of their match.

“In my head, I do not count that as a loss,” Royval explained. “Like, that sh*t’s crazy.

“It was like, not a doctor stoppage or whatever it was. The fact that my shoulder happened – like I get it, if he had me in a kimura and busted my shoulder open, that’s him winning. But I was literally on top of the guy like punching him in the face when my shoulder dislocated.”

The rest of the main card features a bout pitting former featherweight title contenders Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega against one another; a lightweight clash between Daniel Zellhuber and Francisco Prado; Raul Rosas Jr v Ricky Turcios in the bantamweight division; a women’s strawweight match between Yazmin Jauregui v Sam Hughes; and a lightweight opener in which Manuel Torres will battle Chris Duncan.

UFC Fight Night: Moreno v Royval 2 – Main card

- Main event: Flyweight: Brandon Moreno v Brandon Royval

- Featherweight: Yair Rodriguez v Brian Ortega

- Lightweight: Daniel Zellhuber v Francisco Prado

- Bantamweight: Raul Rosas Jr v Ricky Turcios

- Women’s strawweight: Yazmin Jauregui v Sam Hughes

- Lightweight: Manuel Torres v Chris Duncan