Brandon Royval had to battle through some tough moments tonight against Lone’er Kavanagh at UFC 329, but always kept on the offensive regardless and was rewarded in the third round when he sunk in a fight-ending rear-naked choke.
Round One
Calf kick from Kavanagh to start. Now a push kick from him as Royval looks to pressure him back towards the cage.
Short flurry from Royval as Kavanagh attempts to counter. Inside leg kick for Royval. Calf kick for Kavanagh. Head kick attempt from Royval.
Royval almost catches a kick attempt from Kavanagh. Royval threatening with a head kick attempt again.
Inside leg kick from Royval. Jab from him and a low kick for Kavanagh. Kavanagh continues to chip away at the lead leg.
Body kick from Kavanagh, but Royval catches that one. Kavanagh gets his leg free though.
Another hard body kick from Kavanagh, and again it’s caught, but only for a brief moment.
Nice dig to the body from Kavanagh as Royval was about to engage. Jab lands for Royval after Kavanagh misses on an overhand.
Royval in on a takedown attempt and steers clear of a guillotine attempt while landing it.
Royval side control parallel to the cage. Kavanagh gradually gets him back to full guard.
Final 20 seconds and Royval is starting to fire off some solid ground-and-pound, but then Kavanagh is able to scrambles to his feet and press Royval into the cage. Kavanagh with a nice foot sweep to send Royval down to the mat.
Round Two
Jab for Royval. Body kick for Kavanagh. Royval using his reach advantage to paw out with the jab. Another kick to the midsection from Kavanagh.
Nice body-head combo for Kavanagh. He tries a spinning kick. Another body-head lands.
Suddenly Kavanagh lands a big right hand that has Royval badly wobbled. Kavanagh looking for a finish as Royval goes down. He lands some ground-and-pound, but Royval isn’t done yet and he’s now trying to work a submission off his back.
Nothing comes off that, but Royval is able to get back to his feet. Royval right back to fighting hard on the feet and lands a few strikes.
Body kick for Kavanagh. Now a leg kick. They clinch up and jockey for position. Kavanagh presses Royval into the cage.
They back off to striking range. Jab for Royval. He’s back to pressuring now and then goes in for a takedown and lands it.
Good elbow strikes from Royval from half-guard. Kavanagh gets back to his feet. Kavanagh tries for a spinning head kick that misses and Royval goes for punches in response.
Kavanagh clinching and goes around to the back. Late in the round Kavanagh unleashes a combo and Royval tries to fire back.
Round Three
Jab for Royval. Leg kick from Kavanagh. Kavanagh is reaching for a punch as he eats a counter and that might have hurt him. Royval lands again.
Kavanagh blasts him with a huge punch, but Royval eats it and is then laughing afterwards as he gets right back to the striking battle.
Royval in on a takedown and lands it, while Kavanagh tries for a guillotine choke. He gives up on that. Royval dropping down some punishing elbows.
Royval now starting to set up an arm-triangle choke. He’s set it up nicely, but Kavanagh is hanging on in there. Kavanagh able to survive that attempt, but Royval is in mount.
Royval able to work to the back now and get the body triangle in.
Approaching two minutes left in the fight and Royval is trying for a rear-naked choke. Kavanagh defending for now, but time is running out for him here.
Royval adjusting the choke and now he’s got it in very deep, and Kavanagh is forced to tap out at 3.40mins of the final round!
