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The wait is over—Brandon Royval and Manel Kape are finally ready to collide at UFC 317, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
After months of uncertainty, the highly anticipated flyweight showdown has officially been rescheduled for June 28 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, during UFC’s International Fight Week. MMA Fighting confirmed the matchup on Thursday, with initial news broken by Laerte Viana.
This bout has been brewing since March when Royval and Kape were originally slated to headline UFC Vegas 103. However, fans were disappointed after Royval pulled out due to lingering concussion issues. Kape, undeterred, took on Asu Almabayev on short notice and delivered an emphatic third-round TKO.
Now with Royval medically cleared and hungry for redemption, this fight carries even more weight—both literally and figuratively.
Ranked No. 1 in the flyweight division, Royval is looking to secure another title shot after coming up short in a decision loss to champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 296. Since then, he’s racked up two wins and is determined to prove he’s still the top contender.
Conversely, Manel Kape has quietly built serious momentum of his own, winning six of his last eight since his loss to Pantoja. A win here could be his ticket to the title conversation.
As the first marquee matchup announced for UFC 317, Royval vs. Kape could very well steal the spotlight during the promotion’s biggest week of the year. Expect fireworks when these two elite flyweights finally step into the Octagon.