Brandon Royval defeated Tatsuro Taira and thus stopped the Japanese fighter’s series of sixteen victories. Royval maintained his first position in the UFC’s ranking in the flyweight category.
The night of the UFC Vegas 98 gala saw an important bout for the further fate of the up to 57 kilogram category. In the UFC octagon faced Brandon Royval, who was ranked number one, and the undefeated Tatsuro Taira, who was ranked fifth.
Both Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira had chances towards finishing the duel before time. Royval had more opportunities in the stand-up, while Taira worked several times to pin the choke from behind. In the end, after spectacular exchanges in the stand-up and ground-and-pound, the fight ended after a full five rounds.
Two judges scored Royval’s victory while one scored Taira’s win. Thus, the American won by split decision and is the first fighter who was able to defeat the talented Japanese.
After the fight, Royval demanded a title-shot, suggesting that he has a record of wins over all fighters ranked in the TOP 5 of the rankings. Brandon is aware that the UFC organization has put together the Pantoja vs Asakura fight, and expressed his willingness to act as a reserve in case one of the fighters drops out due to injury or fails to make weight.