As the fantastic flyweight battle between Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira unfolded Saturday at Apex in the main event of UFC Vegas 98, it appeared with each passing moment that we were seeing the development of a future champion. Taira just showed elite-level grappling and the kind of toughness and desire one can't teach.
When it was over, and Royval had claimed a split decision victory, he, too, was among that number.
"You're going to become a champion and I hope I can help you get there, bro," Royval said of the 24-year-old Taira in the Octagon during a post-fight interview with Michael Bisping.
Taira lost for the first time after 16 consecutive wins to begin his career, but he may well be beaten to the flyweight championship by his friend and the man who edge him out on Saturday. Chris Lee and Ron McCarthy scored it 48-47 for Royval, while Sal D'Amato had it 48-47 for Taira. I scored it 48-47 for Royval.
There was a little bit of everything in the bout, but to simplify it, Taira controlled the grappling and Royval was the far better striker. Though Taira had an edge in the grappling and had long periods of control during the bout, Royval's grappling was better than Taira's boxing. Taira had 4:10 of control time in the second, 1:45 in the third, 4:29 in the fourth and 1:05 in the fifth.
He had Royval locked in a body triangle and worked relentlessly for a rear naked choke, which Royval was able to fend off.
If this were a boxing match, Royval would have won by stoppage. But Taira showed the toughness and perseverance a champion needs and fought his way through the adversity to take control and make it a fight.
It was 2-2 on the cards of Lee and McCarthy after four, while D'Amato had Taira 3-1. That meant the winner of the fifth won the fight and Royval fought like he knew it. He came out aggressively and was ripping Taira with clean head shots.
And while Taira had control time in the fifth, Royval had 1:25 of control and had a choke on as the bell sounded.
Royval entered the bout coming off a win over ex-champion Brandon Moreno in February in Mexico CIty. A few months before that, he dropped a close title fight at UFC 296 to champion Alexandre Pantoja.
The UFC announced before the card on Saturday that Pantoja would next defend against Kai Asukara on Dec. 7 at UFC 310 in Las Vegas. Royval, though, wants a big fight and he asked for either the next title fight or to serve as the back-up for the Nov. 2 bout between Moreno and No. 3 Amir Albazi.
"I have a win over everybody in that top five," said Royval, who hasn't yet fought Albazi. "I f*cking get that title shot next. ... Title shot next. That's the only f*cking discussion."