Overview
- Brandon Royval faces Manel Kape in a five-round main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, airing on ESPN2/ESPN+ (10 p.m. ET main card, 7 p.m. prelims).
- MyBookie lists Kape as a sizable favorite at roughly -294 with Royval around +236, aligning with other betting boards that lean toward Kape.
- The winner is pushing for the next shot at new champion Joshua Van after Alexandre Pantoja’s injury TKO at UFC 323, with Dana White indicating Van will likely defend before a Pantoja rematch.
- Royval enters after a decision loss to Van in June and vows to “walk him down” and “dog walk” Kape, while Kape, riding recent finishes, promises to “style on” Royval and deliver a “masterclass.”
- Kape’s 2022 testing controversy has resurfaced in discussion; reporting states he satisfied Nevada commission requirements at the time, was not suspended, and later returned without further issues.