But 2022 has already been a bounce-back year for the Colorado-based “Raw Dawg,” as Royval halted his two-fight skid with a split decision win over Rogerio Bontorin in January and followed it up with a first-round submission finish of Matt Schnell at UFC 274 in May.
Known for his all-action style and “devil may care” approach, Royval is the kind of skilled, aggressive opponent that is a problem for everyone he faces. While he acknowledges this, Askarov isn’t particularly worried about what his adversary will be bringing to the Octagon this weekend in Las Vegas.
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“Brandon is a tough guy,” began Askarov, who was forced from a July assignment opposite Alex Perez after breaking two fingers in training camp. “His striking is good, his grappling and wrestling are good, and I’m ready for that.
“But I will do my own things,” he added. “I don’t care about what Brandon is going to do.”
His confidence is brimming because this time around, Askarov is truly in good health and good form, and unlike when he promised to deliver a dynamic performance that shows everything he’s capable of inside the Octagon ahead of his first appearance of the year, he’s really going to deliver this weekend.
“This fight, my health is good, everything is good; no injuries,” he said assuringly. “Camp was really good, so I’m ready to put on a show on Saturday night.
“I’m going to give 100 percent in there and I’m going to get my win. I don’t care how — I will get my win.”