MMA
UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Kape Predictions
The UFC closes out 2025 with a flyweight matchup fans have been waiting nearly all year to see.
Brandon Royval and Manel Kape were first scheduled to clash in March, only for Royval to withdraw. Kape went on to defeat Asu Almabayev. Their June rescheduling also fell apart, this time Kape was forced out, leading Royval to face Van on short notice in a losing effort.
Now, at last, both contenders are healthy, locked in, and set to headline the final UFC card of the year in what promises to be a high-octane event.
Brandon Royval – 23/10
Brandon Royval brings chaos, volume, and relentless pressure to every fight. Standing at 5’8″ with a 68-inch reach – identical to Kape’s – Royval uses his height to create angles, strike long, and force unpredictable scrambles. Though he doesn’t have a physical reach advantage, the extra height gives him better leverage in clinches and allows him to fire off rangy kicks and looping strikes from awkward positions.
At 33, he’s just a year older than Kape, and his slightly deeper well of experience shows in his adaptability. Royval thrives when the fight becomes messy: rapid transitions, wild scrambles, and nonstop movement. His ability to push a pace and turn exchanges chaotic has undone many elite flyweights, and if he can drown Kape in pace, he can absolutely pull the upset.
However, Royval’s main weakness remains the same, he gets hit clean. His wide-open style often leaves defensive gaps, and against someone as fast and precise as Kape, those holes can become costly. Still, Royval’s creativity and scramble-heavy approach make him dangerous at all times.
Manel Kape – 1/3
Manel Kape entered the UFC with huge expectations, stumbled early, and has since evolved into a legitimate title contender. At 5’4″ with a matching 68-inch reach, Kape’s compact build gives him a lower centre of gravity and explosive burst potential. He’s not as tall as Royval, but he uses his frame to generate tremendous power in tight spaces and enter exchanges with precision.
Kape has won six of his last seven, including back-to-back stoppages, and he’s never been closer to a title shot than he is right now. At 32, he’s in his prime, more disciplined than ever, and capable of switching between measured counter-striking and sudden, fight-ending aggression.
His style contrasts perfectly with Royval’s: where Royval brings chaos, Kape brings controlled violence. He excels at landing the cleaner, more damaging shots during exchanges, and his explosive entries can cut through Royval’s reach and irregular rhythm. If this fight becomes structured, technical, and paced, Kape holds clear advantages.
Prediction
This matchup comes down to tempo and distance. Royval will try to overwhelm, confuse, and scramble. Kape will look to stay sharp, explode in moments, and punish openings. With both fighters sharing the same reach and nearly identical age, the difference will be stylistic rather than physical.
But Royval’s biggest flaw, getting hit clean, lines up perfectly with Kape’s greatest strength: elite accuracy and explosiveness.
For that reason, the pick leans heavily toward the favourite.
Prediction: Manel Kape by KO/TKO/DQ or Submission (8/11).
