UFC Fight Night results: Manel Kape knocks out Brandon Royval, calls for title shot

Manel Kape wants his title shot now. Kape explained why he should challenge flyweight champion Joshua Van, knocking out Brandon Royval with relative ease in their UFC Fight Night main event.

Kape executed his game plan to a T. Before Saturday’s fight, Kape said he wanted to back Royval to the fence before unleashing his trademark power. That’s exactly what he did. Kape forced Royval onto the back foot with a series of punches, then uncorked a right hook against the fence that knocked Royval down. An ultra-precise follow-up shot briefly knocked Royval unconscious in the first round. Royval briefly protested the storage, but quickly relented, and a replay confirmed he was out, if only for a moment.

“Now we’re talking. Joshua Van, you said Brandon Royval would kick my ass,” Kape said in his post-fight interview. “You replaced me. You have my belt. If I didn’t break my foot in July, I’d be champion right now.”

Kape was scheduled to fight Royval twice earlier this year. Most recently, Kape withdrew from UFC 317 in June. Van replaced Kape and beat Royval in a fight of the year to earn a title shot, going on to beat Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323 to win the flyweight championship.

“Now, baby, listen real well, I’m here,” Kape said. “Your daddy’s going to take your live diapers thanks to the new Paramount deal. I’m going to take your live diapers. Get ready. You’re in Houston, right? Let’s fight in Houston in February. Sign the contract.

“No one can deny me my belt. I’m the best here.”

Kape’s impressive performance further complicates the flyweight title situation. Kape, now tied with Joseph Benavidez for most knockouts (five) in UFC flyweight history, will likely usurp Royval’s No. 2 ranking. This will put him behind Pantoja, who is currently out with an arm injuryand Tatsuro Taira, who defeated two-time champion Brandon Moreno last week.

UFC matchmakers could realistically insert one of the top three flyweight contenders into a title fight, depending on their availability.