UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Allen was stacked with some mouthwatering undercards. One of them was the flyweight bout between Brandon Royal and Matheus Nicolau. This fight not only had a push for the title contender but also was a great card on its own. UFC boss Dana White has publicly admitted that he made a mistake by not picking this fight to open the night.
This was a potential title contender bout between the number four-ranked Royval and number five-ranked Matheus Nicolau. The victor definitely would get their hands on a championship opportunity against reigning UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno. Or it could be against Alexandre Pantoja if he could manage to edge over Moreno. Regardless of the result, one of Royval or Nicolau was destined to be the number one contender.
Ignoring its massive potential, Royval vs. Nicolau was featured in the preliminary portion of the event. Rovyal eventually went on to win the bout. He did not spare White though. In the post-match press conference, he raised questions. Royval was baffled as this fight was not picked as the opener.
Brandon Royval urges a better look into the flyweight division
Royval appreciated the entire card. He was vocal about the fact that all of them were deserving, had any of them been offered the opener. However, it was evident that their ranks spoke for themselves. Royval pointed out a vital point. They were the second-best ranked fighters in the entire card.
‘Raw Dawg’ spoke in favor of the flyweight division and urged the UFC boss to look into it. To build up the division for further traction, they have to feature the best they have got on their hands.
Then again, that did not bother him fighting mentality. He vowed to put on a good show, and he truly kept his word. He brutally knocked out Nicolau in the very first round. Royval landed a thunderous knee to the chin. And he followed that up with a flurry of elbow strikes to ensure his victory.
Dana White confessed that he made a mistake
In the turn of events, White admitted that he made a mistake. The UFC boss claimed that they were really good at what they do. Which is why promotion is the best in the business. However, the best in the lot often fail to foresee things sometimes. By addressing Royval’s words, White confessed, “The kid should’ve opened the show tonight. He’s right.”
The boss heaped loads of praises on Royval. He claimed that he has been a fan of Royval for quite some time. Even though he made a mistake, he knew that this fight was going to be a bombshell. Royval did make an impression. And White definitely took notice of that.
Do you think Royval Vs Nicolau should have been the opener of the fight night in Kansas City?
