Overview
- Kape defeated Royval via TKO at 3:18 of the first round after a right hand dropped him and referee Herb Dean halted the bout.
- In his post-fight remarks, Kape called out Joshua Van by name and proposed a February title fight in Houston.
- The emphatic finish vaulted Kape into frontrunner status for Van’s first defense as Pantoja’s elbow injury delays a potential rematch and Tatsuro Taira remains in the mix.
- The fight headlined UFC Vegas 112 at the UFC APEX and closed the promotion’s ESPN era ahead of its 2026 move to Paramount+.
- Kape extended his knockout streak to three and has won seven of his past eight, while Royval absorbed a second straight loss.