Kape’s Right Hand Flattened Royval and Fueled His Title Push
Manel Kape knocked out Brandon Royval at 3:18 of the first round on December 13, 2025, at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The flyweight main event closed the UFC’s year with a decisive finish after two earlier bookings between the contenders had fallen through.
The third booking finally brought the contenders together
Royval had withdrawn from their planned March meeting, and Kape later pulled out of a June assignment through injury. Both weighed 126 pounds when the December contest finally became official.
Royval entered after a decision defeat to Joshua Van. Kape had won consecutive fights by stoppage and was seeking another victory against a prominent opponent in the flyweight division.
Measured opening attacks gave way to a decisive right hand
Royval attacked with body kicks while Kape worked on his timing and distance. Kape used low kicks and selective punches before pushing his opponent back toward the fence.
A sharp right hand dropped Royval. Kape followed with punches on the ground, leaving the referee to intervene before the scheduled five-round main event had completed its opening frame.
The finish added weight to Kape’s championship ambitions
The victory gave Kape three consecutive stoppage wins and seven victories in his preceding eight appearances. His ability to turn a patient opening into a sudden finish defined the result.
Afterward, Kape challenged newly crowned champion Joshua Van and expressed interest in a February meeting in Houston. The callout followed his strongest championship argument of the night: a first-round knockout over a former title challenger.
Sources
- UFC: official knockout results, date and venue
- UFC: postponed bookings and preceding fights
- UFC: official weights and five-round assignment
- MMA Fighting: finishing sequence and championship callout
- UFC: opening tactics and winning streak
