Brandon Royval Aims to ‘Make It a Dog Fight’ against Matt Schnell at UFC 274

If things go according to Brandon Royval’s plans, fans are in for a treat at UFC 274. Royval (13-6, 3-2 UFC) is looking forward to fighting in front of a live audience for the first time since he joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship 125-pound division in May 2020. In victory and defeat, the former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion has left it all in the Octagon. Most recently, he edged out Rogerio Bontorin by a narrow split decision at UFC on ESPN 32, bouncing back from a two-bout skid. Still, it seems that the audience will play a pivotal factor in Royval’s next assignment against Matt Schnell, which he hopes will lead to a performance bonus.

(00:00) Intro
(00:25) His pre-fight rituals
(01:28) His camp
(01:58) The fighters with whom he trained to imitate Schnell’s fighting style
(02:57) His corner
(03:11) His expectation for the fight
(03:56) Being eager to compete in front of a live audience in the UFC
(04:58) Having a fan-friendly fighting style
(06:17) Commenting on the rejuvenated status of the UFC flyweight division
(07:00) His split-decision victory over Bontorin
(08:20) His thoughts on some of that fight’s controversies
(09:35) Regretting having rushed the clashes with Pantoja and Moreno
(10:58) Working in the juvenile justice system
(14:28) The gang violence issues in Denver
(15:37) Being in touch with some of the people he worked with
(16:53) His prediction for his fight
(17:40) Picking Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje and Rose Namajunas vs. Carla Esparza
(18:53) Walking out to “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” by Ol’ Dirty Bastard
(19:45) Outro