It was just the latest all-action performance from “Raw Dawg.”
Still, despite being one of the most exciting Flyweights on the roster, it took Royval eight fights inside the promotion before he finally landed a UFC main event.
Well, according to Royval, he got passed over because of his social media following.
“Having followers is such a big deal,” Royval told Ariel Helwani today. “I remember they didn’t book me for a main event and their reasoning was — I think it was Alexa Grasso or whoever they boosted in front of me — they were like, ‘She has way more followers than you.’ Askar Askarov pulled out of the fight so it didn’t matter, but I was pissed.”
And that was not the only time Royval felt overlooked.
In his next outing, Royval was buried on the prelims at UFC Kansas City despite being the second-highest-ranked fighter on the card. After his incredible knockout win, he shouted, “I should never be on a f—king prelims again.”
UFC CEO Dana White actually agreed with him afterward, admitting that he and the matchmakers “screwed up.”
He has since landed three UFC main events and two spots on major numbered-event main cards.
So, maybe the followers helped.
Royval currently sits at 149,000 followers on Instagram, and after another “Fight of the Night” war at UFC 329, the promotion clearly knows what it has.
A ranked Flyweight contender, a reliable action fighter, and apparently, enough followers to finally get the good slots.