Matheus Nicolau vs. Brandon Royval Prediction: Which Ranked Flyweight Will Come Out on Top at UFC Fight Night?

Matheus Nicolau vs. Brandon Royval Prediction: Which Ranked Flyweight Will Come Out on Top at UFC Fight Night?

In my favorite fight of the prelims, Brandon Royval will face off against Matheus Nicolau in a flyweight bout. I have no idea how this fight ended up on the prelims. Brandon is ranked fourth right now and was one fight from a title shot in an unlucky loss. Matheus Nicolau is ranked fifth and could be a win away from a title shot as well. Both fighters are coming off impressive wins over ranked opponent Matt Schnell, and a victory in this bout puts either man in a strong position for a title shot soon. Nicolau is a sizeable -200 favorite, showing value on the underdog.

Nicolau vs. Royval Start Time and Where to Watch

• Date: Saturday, April 15, 2023
• Game Time: 5:30 pm ET
• Where to Watch: ESPN+

Matheus Nicolau vs. Brandon Royval Prediction

Royval, who was sidelined by injury for almost a year, will be looking to overcome his time off and take a step forward in the Flyweight division with a win against Nicolau. Royval opened his UFC resume with a 2-0 record against Tim Elliott and Kai Kara-France before running into Brandon Moreno, the current champion. Royval had a competitive first round, but his shoulder popped out of place, quickly leading to Moreno finishing the fight against the injured Royval.

In his next fight, he faced Alexandre Pantoja, who is fighting for the belt next against Moreno. In that fight, Pantoja landed an eye poke that went unnoticed, which led to Pantoja landing clean shots on the partially-blinded Royval, and the fight was over soon after that. He followed up those two unlucky losses with two impressive wins over Rogerio Bontorin and Matt Schnell. His win over Bontorin was judged a split decision, but I think he won the fight clearly.

When it comes to striking, Royval should have the advantage with his longer-range boxing and ability to mix in kicks. His unorthodox style of striking, coupled with his ability to hunt submissions on the ground, makes him a dangerous opponent. Although Nicolau's grappling skills may give him an edge on the mat, Royval has a history of making skilled grapplers work much harder than they should.

In terms of power, Nicolau may have the upper hand, but Royval's durability and ability to take shots and eat them should not be underestimated. However, Royval has been out of action for a significant amount of time, which could lead to some rusty decision-making early on in the fight. If Nicolau can take advantage of this and set the pace for the fight, he could come out on top. I think Royval will overcome that, though.

This fight promises to be an exciting matchup between two highly skilled and highly-ranked Flyweight fighters. While Nicolau's grappling skills may give him an edge on paper, Royval's striking style and defensive submission threats make him dangerous for anyone in the division. In the end, I like taking a chance on the underdog in this one. This line is favoring Nicolau too much, and Royval has experience against the best of the best. I'll gladly grab +160 on the dog here.

Matheus Nicolau vs. Brandon Royval Pick

Pick: Brandon Royval ML @ (+160) Bet $100 to collect $260 FanDuel has the best odds; click here to bet

UFC Odds

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