Brandon
Royval once missed out on a main event spot in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship due to his social media
following.

Royval was scheduled to fight Askar
Askarov in October 2022 in Las Vegas. Despite being a
high-ranked flyweight contender, he wasn't given the headliner spot
on the card. Alexa
Grasso headlined the card instead, with the Mexican taking on
Viviane
Araujo.

Brandon Royval explains UFC matchmaking decision involving
Alexa Grasso

Royval recently revealed that the UFC told him Grasso had jumped
ahead of him to take the main event spot because she had
substantially more social media followers. He was livid at losing
out on a headlining role, although it eventually didn't matter as
Askarov pulled out due to weight cut issues.

“Having followers is such a big deal,†Royval told Ariel Helwani.
“I remember they didn’t book me as the main event, and their
reasoning was, I think it was Alexa Grasso, who they boosted in
front of me. They were like, ‘She has way more followers than you.'
But Askarov pulled out of that fight anyway, so it didn't matter. I
was pissed.â€

The incident made Royval (18-9) reconsider the importance of social
media in the modern era. “Raw Dawg†has since started engaging more
consistently with fans online.

Royval was recently in attendance at
UFC 328 this past May at Prudential Center in Newark, New
Jersey. While Royval's name was displayed on the arena's screen,
the camera focused on a woman sitting next to the former
LFA champion. After the moment started gaining traction on
social media, Royval posted a video with the woman, which garnered
massive engagement on his Instagram.

Social media aside, Royval's performances inside the Octagon have
also boosted his profile. He recently scored a submission win over
Lone'er
Kavanagh at
UFC 329 to rebound from a two-fight skid, earning a Fight of
the Night bonus as well.

“I remember they didn’t book me as a main
event and the reasoning was like, ‘I think she has way more
followers than you.'” pic.twitter.com/n1YveVeOU6

— Uncrowned (@uncrownedcombat)
July 21, 2026

Axel
Sola considers his last defeat in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship an “alpha loss.â€

Sola put his perfect record on the line in a lightweight tilt
against Mason Jones
at
UFC London this past March. Sola and Jones put on a
back-and-forth slugfest for 15 minutes that stole the show. While
the French lightweight suffered a decision loss, both fighters
walked home with an extra $100k each after earning Fight of the
Night honors.

Sola has now outlined the positives of his last bout.

Axel Sola explains the impact of his Mason Jones loss before
UFC Abu Dhabi

Despite losing his undefeated record, Sola believes it made him a
better fighter. The Frenchman also claims that the loss earned him
more stardom and money than his past 11 wins.

“Great experience,†he said in a recent interview when asked about
his last fight. “It definitely made me a better fighter. In one
loss, I had more gain in visibility and money than in 11 wins. So,
it was an alpha loss, let's say.â€

Sola (11-1-1) is now scheduled to face Ismael
Bonfim (20-6) at
UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island. Bonfim
is 2-3 in the UFC and coming off back-to-back stoppage losses. Sola
is not only looking to get his hands raised, but is eager to do so
in emphatic fashion.

“A win is good, but the quality of the win is even more important,â€
he added. “So, it will all depend on the way I win.â€

“The reward is better if I manage to put on
a show.”

After delivering one of 2026's most exciting fights, Axel Sola
looks to bring the action once again when he faces Ismael
Bonfim at
#UFCAbuDhabi.@VisitAbuDhabi
| @InAbuDhabi |

#InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/lQWxWpFdi7

— UFC News (@UFCNews)
July 21, 2026

Mike
Davis needs to win at
UFC Abu Dhabi to take the next leap in his career.

Davis is scheduled to fight Nurullo
Aliev in a lightweight matchup on July 25 at Etihad Arena in
Abu Dhabi. He wants to secure a win so he can use the money to move
to Las Vegas, considered the home of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Mike Davis explains why Las Vegas move could boost his UFC
career

Davis claims moving to Las Vegas is the ideal next step to advance
his career. Considering Meta Apex and T-Mobile Arena are the UFC's
most frequented venues in recent years, the 155-pounder believes
it'll allow him to stay more active.

Davis regularly visits Las Vegas, where he trains at the UFC
Performance Institute, known for its state-of-the-art facilities.
Having been injury-ridden throughout his career, he believes he
will be healthier if he regularly visits the UFC PI.

“After this win, I plan to use the funds to move to Vegas,†Davis
said in a recent interview. “That way I'm closer to the UFC and I
can be involved with the short-notice T-Mobile and Apex fights. I
just want to be more active and more involved in what the UFC does
and what I can do with the UFC. So, the Vegas move is after this… I
just came back from Vegas. I was at the PI every day, doing
strength and conditioning. It's definitely the environment that I
need, the environment that my body needs. To be treated every
single day, I'm not gonna be injured anymore, which means I can
fight more often.â€

Davis is 5-2 in the UFC and coming off a knockout win over Mitch
Ramirez that saw him rebound from a loss against Fares Ziam.
Meanwhile, undefeated Tajik prospect Aliev has three UFC wins to
his name since earning a contract on
Dana White's Contender Series.

“I finish this guy and they won’t overlook
me anymore.”

Mike
Davis looks to make a statement against Nurullo
Aliev at
#UFCAbuDhabi and remind the lightweight division what he's
capable of.@VisitAbuDhabi
| @InAbuDhabi |

#InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/TG1ler4DG3

— UFC News (@UFCNews)
July 21, 2026