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Brandon Royval calls out flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja in fiery post-fight interview at UFC Mexico City

Brandon Royval wants another crack at flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja. Stepping up on short notice after Brandon Moreno’s originally…

Brandon Royval wants another crack at flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.

Stepping up on short notice after Brandon Moreno’s originally scheduled opponent — Amir Albazi — bowed out due to a neck injury, Royval delivered a solid performance throughout their five-round headliner, earning a split-decision victory over ‘The Assassin Baby’ inside Mexico City’s Arena CDMX.

Following the contest, a fired-up Royval called out Pantoja, who was sitting cageside for the festivities.

“I’m a f*cking gangster. I’m the realest one in this flyweight division,” Royval said while speaking with Paul Felder. Everybody wants to grapple me all day. Speaking of grappling, I hear Pantoja’s in the building. Let’s run that sh*t back motherf*cker. Ain’t no motherf*cker holding me down ever again. I’m going to people’s house and I’m taking their f*cking sh*t. All day, every day. Brandon ‘Raw Dog’ motherf*ckin’ Royval in the building. Westside!”

Is anyone interested in Brandon Royval vs. Alexandre Pantoja 3?

Brandon Royval has stepped inside the Octagon with Pantoja on two separate occasions, the first coming at a Fight Night event in August 2021. Pantoja earned a submission via RNC in the second round. Two years later, they would run it back in a flyweight title tilt at UFC 296 in December. ‘The Cannibal’ once again came out on top, this time by unanimous decision.

With Royval already coming up short against Pantoja twice, a third fight between the two would be a hard sell for fight fans. But with the UFC in desperate need of a flyweight title contender not named Brandon Moreno, ‘Raw Dog’ may be the best option at hand.

Brian Ortega rallies, lands submission win over Yair Rodríguez in back and forth rematch – UFC Mexico City Highlights

Turning in his first victory since 2020, former featherweight title challenger, Brian Ortega was forced to rally from some…

Turning in his first victory since 2020, former featherweight title challenger, Brian Ortega was forced to rally from some significant adversity in his rematch with former interim champion, Yair Rodríguez in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night Mexico City tonight — rallying to land a third round submission win.

Ortega, who has twice challenged for Octagon spoils, will hope tonight’s win over Chihuahua native, Rodríguez will prove enough to warrant him a crack at newly-minted champion, Ilia Topuria — following high-profile losses to both Max Holloway, and Alexander Volkanovski.

And forced to rally early in the opening round, Ortega was dropped twice in quick succession on the feet from the lightening-fast Rodríguez, before taking his back in the first, and amassing significant ground time control in the second round.

Capitalizing on an overzealous Rodríguez early in the third round, Los Angeles-born contender, Ortega managed to lock up a stunning arm-triangle submission win in the frame, moving from mount and forcing a timely tap from the former interim champion.

Below, catch the highlights from Brian Ortega’s submission win at UFC Mexico City

UFC Mexico City’s Yair Rodriguez goes off on new featherweight king Ilia Topuria: ‘I’ll fight him in his backyard’

Yair Rodriguez is not a fan of the new featherweight world champion, Ilia Topuria. Rodriguez — who came up…

Yair Rodriguez is not a fan of the new featherweight world champion, Ilia Topuria.

Rodriguez — who came up short of trading in his interim title for undisputed gold against Alexander Volkanovski in July — sounded just a little bit bitter when asked about Topuria’s title-winning performance against ‘The Great’ during his appearance at the UFC Mexico City media event on Wednesday.

“He did it,” Rodriguez said. “He said he was going to do it and he did it. I don’t have much to say about that.

“I would love to f*ck him up,” he continued. “I don’t want to fight him, I want to f*ck him up. There’s a f*cking big difference in that. Just to make that clear. Anywhere I f*cking see him, I will f*ck him up. F*ck this b*tch. I don’t f*cking like him.”

"I don't want to fight Ilia, I want to fuck him up. There's a fucking big difference, just to make that clear. And anywhere I fucking see him, I'm going to fuck him up. Fuck this bitch, I don't fucking like him." – Yair Rodriguez pic.twitter.com/TUGS1tgR5m

— Oscar Willis (@oscarswillis) February 21, 2024

Yair Rodriguez believes the uFC Mexico city co-main event will produce topuria’s first title challenger

Rodriguez will feature in the co-main event this Saturday night when the UFC returns to Mexico City with a fight that could produce Topuria’s first championship challenger. ‘El Pantera’ meets fellow contender Brian Ortega in a rematch of their July 2022 clash. Rodriguez won the bout via a first-round TKO after ‘T-City’ injured his shoulder.

Rodriguez believes that the winner between himself and Ortega will likely move on to fight Topuria later this year.

“I think that is what’s next for us, any of us, whoever wins, the title is next,” Rodriguez said. “F*ck yeah [I’ll go to Spain vs. Topuria]. I’ll fight him in his backyard if he wants.”

Yair Rodriguez enters the bout with a 10-3 record inside the Octagon with one no-contest. He has won three of his last five bouts, including an interim title victory over Josh Emmett at UFC 284. His two losses came against Volkanovski and former featherweight champion Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway.

UFC Mexico City’s Yair Rodriguez goes off on new featherweight king Ilia Topuria: ‘I’ll fight him in his backyard’

Yair Rodriguez is not a fan of the new featherweight world champion, Ilia Topuria. Rodriguez — who came up…

Yair Rodriguez is not a fan of the new featherweight world champion, Ilia Topuria.

“He did it,” Rodriguez said. “He said he was going to do it and he did it. I don’t have much to say about that.

“I would love to f*ck him up,” he continued. “I don’t want to fight him, I want to f*ck him up. There’s a f*cking big difference in that. Just to make that clear. Anywhere I f*cking see him, I will f*ck him up. F*ck this b*tch. I don’t f*cking like him.”

"I don't want to fight Ilia, I want to fuck him up. There's a fucking big difference, just to make that clear. And anywhere I fucking see him, I'm going to fuck him up. Fuck this bitch, I don't fucking like him." – Yair Rodriguez pic.twitter.com/TUGS1tgR5m

— Oscar Willis (@oscarswillis) February 21, 2024

Yair Rodriguez believes the uFC Mexico city co-main event will produce topuria’s first title challenger

Rodriguez believes that the winner between himself and Ortega will likely move on to fight Topuria later this year.

“I think that is what’s next for us, any of us, whoever wins, the title is next,” Rodriguez said. “F*ck yeah [I’ll go to Spain vs. Topuria]. I’ll fight him in his backyard if he wants.”

Yair Rodríguez eyes title fight showdown with Ilia Topuria ahead of UFC Mexico City return: ‘He said I looked like a rag’

Former interim featherweight champion, Yair Rodríguez hs sights set on a rematch with incoming title challenger, Ilia Topuria after…

Former interim featherweight champion, Yair Rodríguez hs sights set on a rematch with incoming title challenger, Ilia Topuria after their respective outings at UFC Mexico City and UFC 298 next month – claiming he will “catch” the Georgian if they share the Octagon together.

Rodríguez, who makes his return to the Octagon at UFC Fight Night Mexico City in late February, taking on former title challenger, Brian Ortega in a rematch of their one round clash back in 2022 at UFC Fight Night Long Island.

As for Topuria, the unbeaten Georgian contender is in the midst of a stunning winning rise through the featherweight ranks, and is slated to headline UFC 298 next month to boot, taking on soon-to-be common-foe, undisputed featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski in the pair’s grudge title fight.

Yair Rodríguez eyes title showdown with Ilia Topuria

And searching for a future title fight with Topuria should he emerge with a win over Volkanovski at UFC 298 next month, Chihuahua native, Rodríguez reveals he wants to fight the former in the future, taking umbrage with comments made on his July title fight performance against Volkanovski last summer.

“The one who started to provoke was Ilia (Topuria), he said that I looked like a rag [against Alexander Volkanovski],” Yair Rodríguez told ESPN Deportes. “I said let’s see who catches you and see who the rag is. Maybe it’s not time, I found the video and it’s energy seemed so similar to me, pretending to do something that wants to demonstrate a facet of security. But it doesn’t deceive me with everything it says.”

Yair Rodriguez made a couple of interesting claims in an interview earlier today with @ESPNDeportes

1) Doesn't believe Ilia deserves the title shot, and was gifted it

2) Claims he got knocked out by Volk due to not taking his time to recover from the headbutt

3) Message to… pic.twitter.com/K9q1QRIFSX

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 15, 2024

First taking on the above-mentioned Californian, Ortega back in the summer of 2022, Rodríguez landed a first round TKO win over the former, who suffered a shoulder injury during an early grappling exchange with Rodríguez.

Who wins in a future title fight: Yair Rodríguez or Ilia Topuria?

Breaking – Brandon Moreno set to fight Amir Albazi in UFC Mexico City co-Headliner in February return

Former undisputed flyweight champion, Brandon Moreno is set for his return to the Octagon, taking co-main event honors at…

Former undisputed flyweight champion, Brandon Moreno is set for his return to the Octagon, taking co-main event honors at a UFC Fight Night Mexico City event on February 24. next – taking on surging contender, Amir Albazi in a five round clash.

Moreno, a former undisputed and interim flyweight champion, has been sidelined since he dropped his undisputed title at UFC 290 back in July in the co-main event of the International Fight Week event, dropping a close split decision loss to the incumbent in the pair’s Octagon rematch.

As for Albazi, the Iraq native has captured the number three rank in the official flyweight pile, most recently turning in a split decision win over common-foe and former interim title challenger, Kai Kara-France in the main event of UFC Vegas 74 back in June, The victory came as Albazi’s fifth in the Octagon since his debut back in 2020.

Brandon Moreno takes on Amir Albazi at UFC Mexico City

ESPN Deportes reporter, Carlos Contreras Legaspi was first to report the targeted bout between Brandon Moreno and Amir Albazi, before latter confirmation from Eurosport reporter, Marcel Dorff, who confirmed the bout would take place on February 24. in a Mexico City return for the UFC.

Moreno, a former two-time undisputed flyweight champion under the banner of the UFC, first captured Octagon spoils with a stunning rear-naked choke submission win over incoming UFC Austin feature, Deiveson Figueriedo back in 2021, before dropping the title in a third fight against the Brazilian the following January.

Minting himself as the interim flyweight titleholder with a vicious body kick KO win over Kara-France in the pair’s rematch, Moreno would land a doctor’s stoppage TKO win over Figueriedo in the pair’s fourth fight in January of last year, before losing his title to Pantoja in the summer.

17-1 as a professional, former Brave CF standout, Albazi debuted in the UFC with a rear-naked choke submission win over Malcolm Gordon, before then lodging a decision win over Zhalgas Zhumagulov in his sophomore outing.

In three consecutive victories since then, Albazi, 30, has defeated Francisco Figueriedo, Alessandro Costa, and the aforenoted, Kara-France.

Who wins at UFC Mexico City: Brandon Moreno or Amir Albazi?