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UFC flyweight contender Brandon Royval has given his take on who the 125-pound champion Brandon Moreno should compete against in his first title defense. Spoiler: It's not Cody Garbrandt.
Brandon Royval is set to face off against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC Vegas 34, with the winner hopeful of securing a title shot in the near future.
However, a number of top-ranked flyweights also have their sights set on Moreno's belt. The leading names are Askar Askarov, Alex Perez, Deiveson Figueiredo and Cody Garbrandt.
In a recent interview with Sportskeeda MMA's John Hyon Ko, Royval was asked who he believes is deserving of a title shot, and whether former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt deserves to be in the mix should he defeat a name like Kai Kara-France in his divisional debut..
"There's no way," stated Brandon Royval. "F*** Cody Garbrandt. Keep him out of the conversation for that. Even if he beats Kai Kara-France, what the f*** does that matter, you know what I'm saying? Kai Kara-France is ranked number eight. Why does that matter?"
Catch our exclusive conversation with Royval below:
Brandon Royval's pick for the next number one contender
With Brandon Royval's opinion on Cody Garbrandt clear, the question remains: Who should be next to fight for flyweight gold? Royval believes that Askar Askarov is most deserving contender.
However, with the Russian currently injured, Royval states that the winner of his fight with Pantoja should be granted the fight with Moreno.
"Askar Askarov deserves it but he messed up his knee bad," said Brandon Royval. "So the only thing that makes sense is me or Pantoja. It's literally the only option that makes sense. And on top of that it's the dopest matchup. It's the better matchup between all of them. Pantoja has two wins over him, and mee and Moreno, that's gonna be a smoker for sure. That's gonna be a crazy fight. Me and Pantoja is gonna be a crazy fight but that being said, me and Moreno is gonna sell. That is gonna be a wild fight."
Moreno has revealed that he is willing to face any of the fighters in contention. In an interview with The Schmo, 'The Assassin Baby' agreed with Royval that Askar Askarov is the fight to make. Though considering Askarov's injury, he stated that:
"So after that, Cody Garbrandt, Figueiredo maybe. The winner between Pantoja and Royval, for a rematch."
