Preview: UFC 253 ‘Adesanya vs. Costa’ Main Card

Flyweights

Kai Kara France (21-8) vs. Brandon Royval (11-4)

ODDS: France (-230), Royval (+190)

This should be an entertaining bout between two rising flyweights. New Zealand’s France came into the UFC with a considerable amount of hype. Beyond his status as a regional star, many still had memories of his stint on “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2016, when he blasted Terrence Mitchell. “Don’t Blink” does have some impressive power for a flyweight, but the margins have gotten a bit thinner against better competition in the UFC proper. France relies on that power differential to make up for his lack of size and speed. In the UFC’s fastest division, there is the risk that opponents can simply fight at a much higher pace and volume to win rounds if they do not get caught. That is where Royval comes in, as it will be interesting to see just how far up the ladder the Coloradan can make it with his wild approach. Royval hunts the finish at all times. There is not much in terms of connective tissue, but his combination of flashy strikes and vicious scrambling submission game has been enough to take out most of his opponents, including the similarly focused Tim Elliott in his UFC debut in May. This fight could go wildly in one of two directions. Either Royval’s speed and athleticism, along with his willingness to set a pace on the ground, will frustrate and wear out France, or his lack of defense and inexperience in deeper waters will charge him directly into danger. France is a more proven commodity at this point, and for all of Royval’s ability on the ground, he oddly usually relies on his opponent to start initiating the grappling exchanges. The pick is for France to outlast Royval and score a second-round knockout in the hardest fight on the card to call.

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