Manel Kape has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled bout against Brandon Royval at UFC 317 for reasons that have not been disclosed. Following Kape`s removal, Joshua Van has accepted the opportunity on short notice to step in and fight Royval. This matchup is slated for the International Fight Week event on June 28, held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Brandon Royval confirmed the new opponent via social media on Monday, with sources also verifying to MMA Fighting that the fight is being arranged following Kape`s withdrawal.
“Manel Kape is out, Joshua Van is stepping in,” Royval stated. “I have zero idea of the extent of Manel Kape’s injuries but I do know I have the hottest prospect and probably the most exciting UFC flyweight in front of me. Really nothing changes for me as far as what’s in front of me. I’ve got a gangster that’s ready to take my head off and earn his name off of me.”
Joshua Van recently competed at UFC 316 just this past weekend, where he secured an impressive finish over Bruno Silva, extending his professional winning streak to four consecutive fights. The 23-year-old fighter is widely recognized as one of the top prospects in the flyweight division, but facing Brandon Royval represents a significant increase in the level of competition.
Van later confirmed the news of the replacement fight through his own social media platforms.
Brandon Royval, a former flyweight title challenger, remains a prominent figure near the top of the divisional rankings. He holds a 2-0 record in his last two Octagon appearances, including a victory over former champion Brandon Moreno. Most recently, Royval earned “Fight of the Night” honors for a competitive five-round battle against Tatsuro Taira in October.
The UFC 317 card is set to feature two major title fights headlining the event: Ilia Topuria moving up in weight to face Charles Oliveira for what is expected to be the vacant lightweight championship, and flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja defending his belt against Kai Kara-France in a highly anticipated rematch.
