Brandon Royval isn’t a fan of Askar Askarov and his style.
Royval has taken shots at Askarov in the past saying the Russian is boring and all he does is hold people up against the fence and win decisions. After the comments, the UFC booked Royval vs. Askarov at UFC Vegas 62 which is a fight he thought would happen.
“It’s a fight that I’ve been campaigning for, for a while. I think that was my callout after I fought Kai Kara-France that I wanted Asakrov next,” Royval said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “Askarov is the more relevant fight for me and I knew it was coming after the Matt Schnell fight because we were the only two in the top five without fights and he just needed to heal.”
Once he got the fight, Royval began studying Askarov but he admits it is hard due to Askarov’s boring style. However, Royval does see holes in the Russian’s game and believes his aggressive style on the ground will play dividends against Askarov.
“It’s hard to watch video on him. I like the fight in general, I feel like I do well in general against grapplers because I threaten a lot and it allows a lot of openings,” Royval said. “Askarov tries to do a little damage from the top in the first round before he starts holding… Askarov will try and go for things on the ground which will open up some transitions for me to get up or either submit him. As far as the fight, I’m the more deadly fighter, I’m way more of a killer, and anytime I entire the fight knowing I’m the scarier of the two, it’s pretty easy mentally.”
With Brandon Royval having confidence he can create openings on the ground against Askar Askarov at UFC Vegas 62, he believes she can find the submission. He also isn’t afraid to go to the ground with the Russian but also believes his striking and awkward style can pose some problems for Askarov and eventually can land something big when Askarov begins to gas.
Regardless, Royval is confident he will be too much for Askarov and will lead to him getting a stoppage win.
“He’s a good grappler so he will be hard to submit but he fades toward the end and I think the pace I push will create a little desperation from him,” Royval said. “His shots start to get desperate, he starts to overextend himself and I will be able to time him pretty easily… I don’t see a specific finish but I am capable of finishing him on the feet and the ground.”
If Royval gets the stoppage win he’s after, he believes it sets him up to rematch Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 283. Pantoja is already the backup fighter for the flyweight title fight but Royval hopes he can face Pantoja on the card as he wants to get that loss back.
“If I get a finish, it exonerates the only loss I have in the UFC and that’s to Pantoja. Pantoja lost to Askarov and if I go out there and finish and make a statement against Askarov it puts me in a good position to either rematch Pantoja on the same card as Figgy and Moreno fighting to it gives me an opportunity to leapfrog him,” Royval concluded.
Do you think Brandon Royval will finish Askar Askarov?