Brandon Roybal has a little more work to do if he wants another shot at flyweight gold.
According to initial reports from Ag.Fight, Roybal will face former RIZIN bantamweight champion Manel Kape in the main event of UFC Fight Night 253 on March 1st. Roybal and multiple media outlets subsequently confirmed the booking. The event will be held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
“At the end of the day, I have the toughest resume since signing with the UFC,” Roybal wrote on Instagram. “You guys are going to learn to respect my name. Top 10 fighters only. Main event for the fourth year in a row.”
Roybal has won five of his past six UFC appearances. His only loss during that period was when he challenged Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight belt at UFC 296, losing by unanimous decision. Since then, “Raw Dawg” has bounced back, posting back-to-back wins over Brandon Moreno and Tatsuro Hira in headline matches.
Cape has a 5-1 record in his last six fights in the promotion. His third-round TKO win over Bruno Silva at UFC Tampa on Dec. 14 was perhaps his most impressive performance in the Octagon to date. Cape seemed to mention the pairing in his own social media posts.
“He needs to shut up. He has no intention of competing for the belt,” Kape wrote in X. Main event on March 1st. ”
