UFC 329: Brandon Royval vs Lone’er Kavanagh Preview & Prediction
Elite flyweights are on deck for the second fight on the main card, with Lone'er Kavanagh looking to maintain his impressive momentum against Top 5 mainstay, Brandon Royval.
Brandon Royval vs Lone’er Kavanagh facts
What time are Brandon Royval and Lone’er Kavanagh expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2? T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 329
What TV channel is UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2 main card
Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway 2 (Welterweight)
Benoit Saint-Denis vs Paddy Pimblett (Lightweight)
Cory Sandhagen vs Mario Bautista (Bantamweight)
Brandon Royval vs Lone'er Kavanagh (Flyweight)
King Green vs Terrance McKinney (Lightweight)
UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2 prelims
Robert Whittaker vs Nikita Krylov (Light Heavyweight)
Gable Steveson vs Elisha Ellison (Heavyweight)
Cody Garbrandt vs Adrian Yanez (Bantamweight)
Luke Riley vs Kai Kamaka III (Featherweight)
Tracy Cortez vs Wang Cong (Women's Flyweight)
Damian Pinas vs Cesar Almeida (Middleweight)
Farid Basharat vs John Garza (Bantamweight)
Ryan Gandra vs Zachary Reese (Middleweight)
Alessandro Costa vs Cody Durden (Flyweight)
Brandon Royval: Can "Raw Dawg" hold the line and prove that he has what it takes to still compete with the top of the division?
A long-term staple of the flyweight division’s Top 5, Brandon Royval (17-9) returns looking to snap a two fight losing streak. 2025 saw “Raw Dawg” come out on the wrong end of a FOTY contender against current kingpin, Joshua Van, followed by a devastating first round KO defeat to Manel Kape last time out. One of the most entertaining members of the 125 pound shark tank, Royval is a chaotic fighter, combining unorthodox striking with superb scrambling ability at a breakneck pace. However, while he’s had his fair share of success against top level oppositions, he’s come up short against the upper echelon of the division more often than not.
Lone’er Kavanagh: The heralded prospect returns in the wake of a break-out victory over former champion, Brandon Moreno
Fans and pundits were falling over themselves to write off Lone’er Kavanagh (10-1) following a harrowing KO loss to Charles Johnson, a defeat that snapped a three fight win streak in the promotion. However, considering that current champion Joshua Van suffered a similar fate, losing to “Inner G” might just be the best base for flyweight success. The Englishman entered his first main event spot against Brandon Moreno as a considerable underdog in his next fight, only to put a whooping on the former champion in enemy territory to rocket himself up the rankings into the Top 5 at flyweight. An explosive athlete of the highest order, Kavanagh does everything with picture perfect technique, blending powerful striking with superb wrestling ability.
Brandon Royval vs Lone’er Kavanagh prediction
Considering that we’ve seen him return with a vengeance following a rough string of results before, Royval is definitely capable of winning this. He’s a dangerous finisher anywhere the fight goes and has fought the best of the best at 125 pounds throughout his UFC career.
Unfortunately for “Raw Dog,” I just don’t see it in the face of a champagne prospect like Kavanagh. Royval has a significant height advantage, but he only has a one inch edge in reach. Furthermore, Kavanagh was doing well against a similarly sized opponent in Charles Johnson prior to gassing out and losing by KO. He showed a much better ability to manage his gas tank across five rounds against Brandon Moreno and has also incorporated a chopping calf kick into his striking arsenal to great effect.
Royval also has a worrying tendency to leave his chin straight up in the air when he tries to use his height to lean out of the way of shots, something that cost him dearly against Joshua Van and Manel Kape. Faced with a similarly explosive puncher like Kavanagh, that could be a legitimate recipe for disaster. Throw in Kavanagh’s momentum following a victory over a former champion and the fact that Royval is likely to be jittery in the wake of a savage KO defeat in his last fight, and all signs point to the Englishman getting his hand raised here.
Prediction: Lone'er Kavanagh to win
