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Brandon Royval has officially withdrawn from his highly anticipated main event fight against Manel Kape at UFC Vegas 103, scheduled for March 1 at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
The former flyweight title challenger broke the unfortunate news to fans via Instagram, revealing that an injury has forced him out of the bout.
"Unfortunately I’m going to have to pull out of my fight," Royval wrote. "I’m sorry to Manel Kape and my fans. I’m facing an injury that has me questioning when I’ll be able to train again. This is absolutely a fight I think needs to happen for the flyweight division but as of right now competing [next] month has been ill-advised. Love y’all and I apologize from the bottom of my heart. I’ll have more details on my YouTube this week."
Royval did not disclose the specifics of his injury or provide a timeline for his potential return to action. The timing is particularly unfortunate, as he was looking to build momentum following his thrilling victory over previously undefeated Tatsuro Taira in October. A win over Kape could have positioned him back in title contention.
Before Royval’s withdrawal was confirmed, Kape had already expressed doubts about the fight proceeding as planned. The flyweight contender took to Twitter with a pointed message aimed at Royval.
"Four weeks for the fight worth the place for the belt, the chills, nausea, and panic are already starting to take effect on the body of the little puppy Brandon Royval," Kape wrote. "I won’t be surprised if he runs away from this fight."
Unfortunately for Kape, his concerns turned into reality, as Royval has now officially pulled out. The UFC has yet to announce whether a replacement will be found for Kape or if the fight card will be reshuffled.
With UFC Vegas 103 just weeks away, fans eagerly await an update on whether Kape will remain on the card or if the event will undergo changes.
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