Brandon Royval had to wait over three years to get a win over Brandon Moreno.
The two headlined UFC Mexico City on Saturday and they lived up to their billing, battling back and forth for five rounds en route to a split call. It was Royval who left the cage with his hand raised, with a pair of 48-47 scores earning him the victory.
Making the win extra special was that Moreno is the man who handed Royval his first UFC loss back in 2020. The two first fought at UFC 255, where Moreno won via first-round TKO in a bout that saw Royval suffer an ill-timed shoulder injury. Moreno went on to become a two-time flyweight champion while Royval is still waiting to have gold around his waist.
Royval may get that chance at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro if current 125-pound champion Alexandre Pantoja is chosen to headline that main event. Pantoja holds two wins over Royval, including a decision victory at UFC 296 just two months ago, but there may be no better option for the Brazilian star at the moment.
Pros watching the fight were wowed by the non-stop action and you can see their excited social media reactions below.
Incredibly close fight. Both Brandon’s put on a helluva show and had their moments
Royval stepped in on short notice tonight in what was being considered a no.1 contender fight tonight.. since his last fight was a L to the champ.. don’t see him getting that immediate rematch…
— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) February 25, 2024
Both guys named Brandon I think the judges are gonna be all over the place with these cards
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) February 25, 2024
I thought Royval won but that probably means nothing in Mexico
— Jared Gordon (@JFlashGordonMMA) February 25, 2024