Alexandre Pantoja will defend his new flyweight title for the first time at UFC 296. The Brazilian will take on Brandon Royval. It’s an exciting rematch between the two fighters. In a recent interview, Pantoja said that his opponent is a worthy challenger to the title.
Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval
Pantoja won the belt from Brandon Moreno at UFC 290 in a split-decision victory. He will now take on Royval, a top-five contender in the flyweight division. Both men have a reputation for putting on entertaining clashes. It seems like an exciting fight. Yet, it is not the first time they will meet inside the Octagon. Pantoja and Royval went toe to toe in August 2021, where Pantoja won by submission. A lot has changed since their first meeting. Pantoja, of course, is now champion, and Royval is on a three-fight winning streak. It will be an exciting matchup and produce a quality contest.
Royal Is Worthy Of A Shot
Pantoja stated on the MMA Hour that Royval is a worthy contender. He also reflected on their first meeting.
Royval deserves to fight for the belt,” Pantoja said on The MMA Hour. “It’s a guy coming off a few big wins. He knocked out Matheus Nicolau, a phenomenal fighter from Brazil. He finished Matt Schnell, and he [beat Rogerio Bontarin], He deserves it. He’s fought with everybody in the top 10. He deserves to fight for the belt. It’s a perfect match in a very different moment for me.”
“When I fought Brandon Royval for the first time, I was driving for Uber. I had a knee injury. That fight was very emotional. All the emotion was weighty at one point, but I could use that. In my mind, that fight was 200% powerful. Now, it’s a very different moment. He wants something I have and needs to take care of. Brandon Royval is a very, very real dude. I need to prepare for him, and will make a lot of money for that fight. I will deserve all the pay-per-view points, I will put on an outstanding show for everybody watching.”
Quotes via MMA Fighting
It looks to be an entertaining contest and could produce fireworks.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
