In a wild and thrilling duel between top-five flyweights, former title challenger Brandon Royval sent a vocal message to the powers that be that he is most deserving of the next shot at the belt.  Royval (17-7) rallied in Round 5 to stay off the ground amid the grappling threat of Tatsuro Taira to edge out the 24-year-old Japanese prospect via split decision in an epic styles contrast that saw both fighters take turns dominating the terms of the fight.

Undefeated Tatsuro Taira meets onetime title challenger Brandon Royval in the men's flyweight main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas. All of the fights at UFC Apex are on ESPN+, with the main card starting at 7 p.

The 31-year-old Denver native takes on Tatsuro Taira in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. A win would likely catapult Royval, the No. 1 contender in the flyweight division who beat No. 2 Brandon Moreno in his last fight, to another shot at the belt.