UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Kape Preview and Predictions

It is time to say goodbye to ESPN as the home for the UFC as the promotion hosts one last event that will be broadcast on the worldwide leader in sports before 2025 ends and the new deal with Paramount+ begins. Headlining UFC Vegas 112 is a flyweight showdown between a former title challenger and a rising star, both of whom would like to insert themselves into the now crowded title picture after the bizarre ending to last week’s title showdown.

Brandon Royval is coming off a decision loss to the current champion Joshua Van and is looking to put on an impressive performance that could earn him a rematch in 2026, as former champion Alexandre Pantoja recovers from a horrific injury. His opponent, Manel Kape, has won two back-to-back fights and six of his last seven bouts. A third straight win and a win over a former title challenger would be a huge feather in his cap and could see him with the inside track at a championship shot in the near future.

UFC Fight Night:Royval vs. Kape, airs live on ESPN+ starting at 7 p.m. ET. Combat Press writers Andrew Sumian and Matt Petela preview the action in this week’s Toe-toe-Toe.
Brandon Royval’s last two losses came against the current and former champions of the division; can he earn another crack at gold with a win over Manel Kape?

Sumian: Third time is the charm! These two have been booked twice previously in 2025 and each of the combatants have pulled out in their two previous planned meetings. Both flyweight contenders have only competed once in 2025 and have lost a ton of momentum as potential title challengers due to the recent results in high profile flyweight bouts. For Royval, defeating Kape keeps him in the top five of the division and his title aspirations alive. For Kape, defeating Royval puts him one fight away from a title shot despite his lack of reliability.

At one point, Kape was considered the greatest threat to the flyweight throne. He is a skilled fighter, but also loud and entertaining on the mic. Yes, many of the things he says are stupid and nonsense to say the least, but it has certainly created buzz and people will tune in to watch him win or lose. However, his inactivity has been the biggest issue and he is now firmly behind several elite flyweights in regards to potential title contenders. The skills Kape brings to the octagon are real, but his time is running out unless he can string together a consistent run of performances to get people interested once again.

You have to feel for Brandon Royval. He did not have to take the Joshua Van fight on short notice after putting together a two fight win streak against Brandon Moreno and Tatsuro Taira. If he had waited, it was fairly likely he would have found himself fighting for the title once again after losing a unanimous decision to Pantoja in December of 2023. It does help that his contest with Van is considered one of the greatest fights in flyweight history and one of the best fights of 2025. Still, Royval is ranked as the number two flyweight in the world and it will only take a couple of strong performances at best for him to challenge for a championship once again.

I am going with Royval by unanimous decision on this one. Kape is certainly not as good as Van, and he has only faced two active fighters inside the top 15 at 125. On other hand, Royval has faced anyone you can think of at flyweight and brings a ton of experience to the table. He may lose a round to Kape early, but he will be the one to control rounds three through five and earn himself a decision victory.

Petela: Manel Kape is one of those names about whom I must have a blind spot. I’ve never thought of him as anything more than a middling flyweight but each time I watch him fight and see who he has beaten I realize that I’m wrong and he is talented as hell. I don’t think there is anyone in the division who he doesn’t have a chance at defeating if he fights his best.

Brandon Royval has quickly gone from a promising prospect to a perennial contender. He has come up short on the biggest stage but just by a hair and the last time he lost a fight to someone who didn’t at one point hold the UFC flyweight title was 2018. He is the exact right matchup to test Kape and see if he truly belongs among the division’s elite.

I think this is a close fight. Hard to say which man has a speed advantage since it feels like every flyweight moves at the speed of light. The difference maker for me is the unique style and unpredictability of Royval. His somewhat unorthodox tendency to put himself in danger in order to capitalize on errors will lead him to victory. He will successfully land punches and take a little less than he gives and if it does get to the canvas “Raw Dog” will flow effectively in order to gain and maintain dominant positions. It goes the distance but Royval gets the job done.

Giga Chikadze and Kevin Vallejos are on opposite trajectories; can Vallejos score a victory and announce himself as a contender in the featherweight division?

Petela: We are due for a Giga kick. Nasty body kicks that just shuts opponents down are what Chikadze is known for and I think he gets back on track by landing that patented kick this weekend. Vallejos is a talented fighter and two years from now I’d likely pick him to run through Chikadze but I don’t think he’s there yet and I don’t think that Giga is necessarily on a steep decline. This one doesn’t last long. First round body kick win for the Georgian who probably has one or two more good fights before he calls it a career.

Sumian: I really want to go all in on Kevin Vallejos as a prospect and future title contender at 145. However, Chikadze is no joke, and a big step up in competition for the 16-1 prospect. Chikadze will also boast a five inch height advantage and a 6 inch reach advantage. The veteran will undoubtedly be looking to stay on the outside and consistently utilize an array of long jabs and kicks. It will be up to Vallejos to get on the inside and hurt him with his power. That being said, I am going to go with the veteran on this one. The kickboxing experience and length will simply be too much for the up and coming Argentinian.

What one fighter’s UFC career is on the ropes at this event?

Sumian: It should be King Green. He is 1-3 since December of 2023 and each loss has been more brutal than the last. It seems like Green is well liked by the UFC, but if he suffers another devastating loss the UFC should send him packing for his own good. He is also 39 years old which is not helping his case.

Petela: Buchecha. He looked pretty good in ONE Championship but did not look particularly impressive in his UFC debut against Martin Buday. If he falls to 0-2 with the promotion it might be time to end the MMA experiment and go back to solely competing in jiu-jitsu where he is one of the best to ever do it.

Which fight is the sleeper match-up on this card?

Petela: The UFC had a great showing last week at UFC 323 but this final card of the year is lacking any real star power or name recognition outside of the main event. I suppose it’s worth tuning in for the final preliminary fight between Joanderson Brito and Melsik Baghdasaryan.

Sumian: Amanda Lemos versus Gillian Robertson. Robertson is only ranked number 10 in the division which was shocking to me given her impressive four fight win streak. Lemos always comes to fight and these two should put on a fantastic scrap.

Who takes home the “Performance of the Night” honors?

Sumian: It pains me to say this because I do very much like Neil Magny, but newcomer Yaraslav Amosov should put on a clinic and earn himself a finish before the end of round two. Amosov has the potential to become champion at 170 and he will start his campaign with an impressive finish over Magny.

Petela: Cezary Oleksiejczuk. The Polish slugger makes his UFC debut after a standout performance of the Contender Series. He makes a major statement with a first round knockout over Cesar Almeida.

Pair this card with…

Petela: Champagne. Celebrate the end of the poor quality streaming that was the ESPN era. To borrow a line from Ol Blue Eyes, I have high hopes for what is to come with Paramount+.

Sumian: Goodbye 2025. This is hardly the type of card worthy of ending the year on, but it is what it is. 2025 has been an incredible year for MMA and it should only get more exciting going into 2026.