In a wild and thrilling duel between top-five flyweights, former title challenger Brandon Royval sent a vocal message to the powers that be that he is most deserving of the next shot at the belt.  Royval (17-7) rallied in Round 5 to stay off the ground amid the grappling threat of Tatsuro Taira to edge out the 24-year-old Japanese prospect via split decision in an epic styles contrast that saw both fighters take turns dominating the terms of the fight.

The UFC is back at the Apex in Las Vegas, NV this Saturday (October 12) with a UFC Fight Night card headlined by a flyweight title eliminator. Brandon Royval

By the third round, Brandon Royval found his groove. His strikes started landing with more frequency. Taira, feeling the heat, went for takedowns. The momentum swung back and forth between the two. The fourth round belonged to Taira. He once again glued himself to Royval’s back.