Brandon Royval plans to have “chaotic” fight against Matt Schnell at UFC 274: “I’m going to have a war and see who survives it”

Brandon Royval is ecstatic he will finally get to fight in front of fans again.

Royval is set for his sixth Octagon appearance against Matt Schnell at UFC 274 but it will be the first time he competes in front of a crowd in the UFC. The sixth-ranked flyweight contender believes he has a fan-friendly style and sort of views this as his official UFC debut.

“It doesn’t really feel like I’ve been in the UFC. Fighting in my gym is louder than fighting at the UFC Apex, and even Abu Dhabi was super quiet,” Royval said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “I don’t know, man, I don’t feel like I have made that UFC big step yet. This is the dream come true, like the actual, ‘oh I’m in the UFC now.’ I can’t wait to fight in an arena and in front of the crowd.”

Royval is coming off a split decision win over Rogerio Bontorin and after Schnell had his fight against Alex Perez canceled, ‘Raw Dawg’ asked for the fight. He believes it’s a good matchup for him as Schnell is a notable name and can help him move up the ranks.

“I actually asked for the matchup, I didn’t ask for the matchup specifically but I knew his fight against him and Perez fell off and I was in Texas and wanted to fill in as an alternate,” Royval said. “I asked Mick Maynard to fight soon and said I’ll fight Matt Schnell ASAP and it led to a few months out but it still is a good turnaround for me.”

Against Matt Schnell, Brandon Royval is excited for the matchup as he believes their fight has bonus money written all over it. Both men have exciting styles but Royval believes his toughness and durability will play a big part in the fight.

Royval says the plan at UFC 274 is to bring Schnell into the fire and make it a wild, chaotic fight until one of them can’t continue.

“I think it’s an interesting matchup, he does a lot of good things and I like watching him fight, he’s definitely a fan favorite and I was really excited about that. I’m fighting in front of a crowd and I have a crowd-pleasing fight,” Royval said. “He’s really technical on the feet, and is fancy on his back but I just think I’m better everywhere. What is going to be a big difference is I’m tougher, I’m more of a fighter. I’m willing to put myself in the fighter and I will last a little longer if we go there. I think I out jiu-jitsu him and I think I outstrike him and just walk him down and put myself in the fire…

“I want to make it wild, I want to make it chaotic. That thriving chaos, I love the chaos, and I want to take Matt Schnell into the fire and see who walks out scorched and that is how I feel about this fight,” Royval later added. “I’m willing to go push the pace hard in the first, second, and third round if it goes that far but I’m going to give him a bunch of ways out. I’m going to be in his face, be nasty, be mean and try to bring a little bit of technique. More than anything I’m just going to enjoy fighting in front of a crowd and living out my dream. I’m going to have a war and see who survives it.”

Should Royval get the stoppage win, he isn’t sure what would be next for him. He says the flyweight division is a mess with the potential of Figueiredo-Moreno 4 so he isn’t sure what will be next for him. Yet, he hopes a top-five opponent is next.

“Whatever is next for me after this W, I have to fight someone in the top-five, I have to earn my top-five position again,” Royval concluded.

Who do you think will win, Brandon Royval or Matt Schnell?