Flyweight contender Brandon Royval has withdrawn from the UFC Fight Night main event against Manel Kape on March 1 due to an injury.
The fight was scheduled to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
"I'm facing an injury that has me questioning when I'll be able to train again," Royval wrote Wednesday on Instagram. "This is absolutely a fight I think needs to happen for the flyweight division, but as of right now, competing (next) month has been ill-advised."
It's unclear whether the UFC will seek a new opponent to face Kape at the event.
Royval, ranked No. 1 in the 125-pound division, is coming off back-to-back wins over Tatsuro Taira and former champion Brandon Moreno in 2024. Royval is 5-1 in his last six, with the 32-year-old Denver native's lone loss during that stretch coming against current champ Alexandre Pantoja in a December 2023 title fight.
Kape defeated Bruno Silva by third-round TKO at UFC Tampa in December to earn the potential title-eliminator bout against Royval. Kape, the No. 6-ranked flyweight, went 1-1 in the Octagon last year and is also 5-1 in his last six appearances.
