Brandon Royval Confirmed as Backup Fighter for Van vs. Kape at UFC 336 in Toronto

Brandon Royval has confirmed he will be the backup fighter for the flyweight title fight between champion Joshua Van and Manel Kape at UFC 336 in Toronto on January 30. If either man is forced out, Royval is positioned to step in for a shot at the belt.

The arrangement carries an unusual wrinkle: Royval has already lost to both fighters in the title bout.

Van, a 25-year-old from Myanmar, enters as champion with an 18-2 record. He beat Royval by unanimous decision at UFC 317 in June 2025, and his most recent recorded fight was a unanimous decision win over Alexandre Pantoja in a title fight on September 19, 2026. Van lands 8.26 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy, and he averages 0.7 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Kape, 32, is the number two ranked flyweight and carries a 23-7 record. The Angolan southpaw stopped Royval with a first-round knockout at the December 13, 2025 Fight Night, and his most recent recorded fight was a third-round TKO of Kyoji Horiguchi on June 20, 2026. He lands 4.68 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy.

Royval, 34, is ranked third at flyweight with an 18-9 record. The Factory X southpaw bounced back from the Kape loss with a third-round submission of Lone'er Kavanagh at UFC 329 on July 11, 2026, his most recent recorded fight. Submissions are his calling card: he averages 1.2 attempts per 15 minutes, well above Van's 0.3 and Kape's 0.2.

Why it matters

• Royval is 0-2 against the two fighters he is covering for, so a late call-up would mean either a rematch or a first title shot built on a loss to the champion.
• The size gap is notable: at five-foot-nine, Royval is four inches taller than both Van and Kape, who each stand five-foot-five.
• Kape's reach is 68 inches, matching Royval's, while Van's 65-inch reach is three inches shorter than both.
• Royval is the only one of the three whose recent form includes a submission finish.

Backup fighters rarely get to compete, but with the flyweight title on the line, Royval's presence gives the UFC a ranked contender ready if either side falls out.