Brandon Royval
Active 2020–present · rated in 3 editions · peak overall 84.0
Scouting report
Brandon "Raw Dawg" Royval captured the LFA flyweight title before rising through the UFC rankings on volume output and multiple Fight of the Night finishes. Fighting out of Denver, Colorado, he mixes non-stop pace with guard submissions. His 94 Cardio, 90 BJJ, and 84 Kickboxing ratings support an 84 Overall score.
Peak ratings
By edition
Royval submitted Tim Elliott and Kai Kara-France in 2020 before losing to Brandon Moreno by TKO and to Alexandre Pantoja by submission in Las Vegas. His scramble style and submission threats off his back are reflected in an 80 Boxing and 88 BJJ score.
Royval knocked out Matheus Nicolau in the first round with a knee and follow-up elbows and defeated former champion Brandon Moreno by split decision in Mexico City, after a five-round decision loss to Alexandre Pantoja in a title fight at UFC 296. His pace and conditioning over twenty-five-minute fights are reflected in a 94 Cardio and 82 Boxing rating.
Brandon Royval, the Denver submission hunter who kept his day job until he beat Kara-France
Brandon Royval grew up in Denver and was training Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai by fifteen. He turned professional in 2012 and won the Legacy Fighting Alliance flyweight title with a first-round armbar of Nate Williams in 2019. He worked full time in the juvenile justice system and taught jiu-jitsu at Factory X, and left the job after beating Kai Kara-France in 2020. That fight, a second-round submission after both men had been knocked down, is the one that announced him.
Royval's ratings in context
Boxing. Decent at 82. His round-one knockout of Matheus Nicolau in 2023 earned a bonus and shows he is not a one-dimensional grappler.
Kickboxing. Higher than his boxing at 82. He headlined against Tatsuro Taira in 2024 and won a split decision.
Wrestling. Solid for a submission specialist at 80. He needs the fight in tight spaces, and his wrestling gets him there.
BJJ. His main weapon. He beat Tim Elliott by second-round submission on debut, Kai Kara-France in round two, and Matt Schnell with a first-round guillotine in 2022.
Strength. The lowest rating at 72. Nothing in the record suggests he wins by overpowering someone.
Durability. Rugged at 86. He took a five-round title fight with Alexandre Pantoja in 2023 and went the distance with Bontorin in 2022 and Moreno in 2024.
Cardio. His top mark at 94. In 2025 he and Joshua Van landed 419 significant strikes between them in a three-round fight.
Fight IQ. Good at 84. He won a split decision from Brandon Moreno in 2024 after replacing Amir Albazi on the card.
He does not slow down: Cardio
Cardio at 94 is the highest number on his card, and it matches the way he fights. He took the 2023 title shot against Alexandre Pantoja through all five rounds, and his June 2025 fight with Joshua Van produced 419 significant strikes between the two men over three rounds. A simulation that rewards volume and pace over a long fight suits him well.
Overpowered by a bigger body: Strength
Strength is the lowest at 72. In practice that shows up in losses where the other man imposed his will: Pantoja choked him in round two in 2021 and won the 2023 title fight on the scorecards, and Manel Kape knocked him out in round one in December 2025. He usually wins by wrong-footing an opponent rather than by moving him around.
Keep exploring
Closest flyweight profiles to Brandon Royval, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Steve Ercegbest cardio 88 · weakest strength 74
- Brandon Morenobest cardio 94 · weakest strength 73
- Joseph Benavidezbest cardio 90 · weakest strength 75
- Tatsuro Tairabest bjj 94 · weakest strength 73
- Flyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Protecting your streak: a guide that fits Brandon Royval's strongest attribute, Cardio.
Draft Brandon Royval into your build
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Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Brandon Royval is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Brandon Royval's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.