Brandon Royval earned an upset split-decision victory over Brandon Moreno at UFC Fight Night 237 thanks to his high-volume striking.
Round One:
The flyweight main event is underway in Mexico City!
Moreno circling on the outside to start. Royval misses on a couple of kick attempts. Inside leg kick for Moreno. Body kick lands for Royval.
Constant movement from Moreno. The ref is urging them to engage now as he reach 90 seconds into the fight.
Royval with a leg kick and Moreno counters with a hook. Body kick from Royval. Now a jab from him.
Inside calf kick from Moreno. Moreno lands a heavy punch. Now a strike from Royval. Body kick for Moreno.
Moreno sticking to his back-and-forth movement while waiting to counter. Brief clinch and Moreno lands a knee.
Royval tries for a jumping knee but doesn’t land it. Body kick from Royval.
Round Two:
Royval appears to be dealing with a left foot injury heading into the 2nd round.
Good right hand for Moreno. Low kick for Royval. Royval feeling out with punches but Moreno lands the jab.
Jab for Royval. Now a low kick. Moreno ducks and lands a right hand. Moreno attempts a couple of overhands but misses.
Nice kick to the body for Royval. Jab for him. Inside leg kick for Moreno. He almost catches a kick too. Royval with a knee.
Body kick from Royval. Hard one-two for Moreno. Body kick for Royval after feeling out with straight punches.
Inside leg kick for Moreno. Knee to the body for Royval. He lands that knee again. Moreno with a single-leg takedown in the center of the Octagon.
There’s a bit of a scramble, but Moreno then looks to settle on top. Royval chaining submission attempts including a gogoplata, but Moreno gets free of that as the round is drawing to a close.
Round Three:
Leg kick for Royval. He lands another nicely. Now Moreno lands one of his own. Head kick attempt from Moreno is blocked.
Body kick for Royval. Royval misses another kick and Moreno uses that to take him down. Royval scrambling and gets back to his feet, but Moreno is now clinched to his back. Royval does well to break free though.
Body kick from Royval but lands to the groin and forces a brief stoppage.
Series of punches from Royval. Now a head kick attempt, but Moreno counters with a left hand. Body kick for Royval.
Head kick attempt from Royval. Moreno misses on a reaching punch and Royval lands on the counter.
Moreno with an overhand, but not much steam behind it. Grazing blows from him. Now an inside leg kick. He punches his way into a potential takedown. They battle for position and then Royval gets back to striking range.
jabs for Royval. Body kick from him and Moreno almost catches it. Royval peppering Moreno with light, straight punches.
Royval thinking about a takedown, but doesn’t commit to it. left kick from Moreno. Punch from Royval.
Round Four:
Uppercut and a kick from Royval. Royval with a flurry and Moreno returns fire. leg kick for Moreno. Moreno missing on another kick. He lands to the calf.
Body punch and a calf kick for Moreno. Moreno tries to get a trip from the body lock, but Royval stuffs that and ends on top. They immediately get back up though.
Moreno lands a low kick again. Royval with punches. Punch and a calf kick from Moreno. Body punch from Royval.
Punch and calf kick again from Moreno and they have to be taking a toll. Royval much more punching orientated here and is throwing in volume. Moreno starts to cover up and Royval sees that as an opportunity to land a takedown.
Moreno back up against the cage. Royval landing light punches to the head then backs up.
Royval back to landing straight punches and Moreno lands a calf kick. Nice jab from Royval. Missed overhand from Moreno.
Punches to the head and then one to the body from Royval. Moreno with a short flurry to the body. Low kick for Royval.
A couple of punches from Moreno to the body. calf kick from Moreno. Royval presses forward pumping out the jab repeatedly.
Royval continuing to adopt a light, but high-volume attack with straight punches. Could work rate from him at this stage in the fight.
Round Five:
Royval immediately back to peppering Moreno with straight punches, with a fair amount coming off the guard of Moreno.
Overhand for Moreno. Moreno clinches up and drives Royval into the cage. Moreno being urged to work as he lands a couple of knees but not much else.
The ref doesn’t like the lack of action and breaks them up. Moreno with a few light punches but then Moreno lands a heavier blow in return.
Royval continuing to keep up his higher-volume output though. Nice right hand and a calf kick from Moreno.
Glancing left hook from Moreno. Punches off the guard from Royval. Left hand gets through for Moreno.
Moreno covers up to block more punches and then lands a low kick and right hand. Moreno looking to clinch and gets the back. Royval able to turn into him. Ref breaks them up.
Moreno punches into the clinch. Royval with a strike in close. Ripping punches from Royval. Good knee to the body from Royval. Moreno swoops around to the back to clinch up and drives Royval into the cage. Final 10 seconds and Moreno gives up on that and just keeps his head low and starts swinging big punches, with Royval also trying to land.
Decision:
A battling performance from both men then, with Moreno landing the heavier blows, including some punishing calf kicks, but Royval was the one pressuring more often than not and was considerably more active offensively, particularly with his boxing in the later rounds.
In the end the judges reward Brandon Royval’s hard work as he earns himself a split-decision victory (48-47 x2, 46-49) to avenge his previous loss to Moreno.
