UFC Vegas 112 went down this past weekend (Sat., Dec. 13, 2025), which not only marked the final event for the promotion in 2025, it also signaled the end of its deal with ESPN as it heads into 2026 with Paramount+ / CBS as its new billion-dollar broadcast partner.
Unfortunately, for Royval, things only slid further downhill for him after suffering a first round knockout loss at the hands of Manel Kape (see it again here), giving him his first two-fight losing streak in nearly five years. The loss is a crucial one for “Raw Dawg,” who will now likely cost him his spot in the Top 5.
“Thank you for all who checked up on me,” Royval wrote on Instagram after his stunning defeat. “Sad about the loss, but my health is okay, and I’ll live to fight another day.”
Royval, 33, still has a lot of fight left in him and he does have the skills to get back on track in a hurry. The only downside to his trek back up is that the division is getting more and more crowded with the likes of Tatsuro Taira and Kyoji Horiguchi, among others, making some noise.
As far as what could be next for Royval, a showdown against Steve Erceg could be in order. Erceg is currently seeded No. 9 in the division and recently returned to the win column by defeating Ode Osbourne three months ago, snapping a dreadful three-fight losing streak. Erceg was once a title contender himself, a shot he got after winning just three fights inside the Octagon.
It would be a fresh matchup for both men, with the winner getting some much-needed momentum moving forward. For Royval, taking out a former title contender would give him the confidence he needs to make another run to the top, but a loss would be detrimental for his own championship fight dreams.
