Kara-France was just 23 years old when he first danced with Pantoja, and he has since developed into one of the most effective and devastating power punchers in the division. Three of his last four wins came via knockout, and “Don’t Blink” looked better than ever in his last outing against Steve Erceg, flatlining the Australian in the first round of their August 2024 battle. With championship experience already in tow—he lost an interim title fight to Brandon Moreno in July 2022—Kara-France is keen on adding another UFC title to the decorated City Kickboxing locker.
Before those two battle for gold, though, Brandon Royval and Joshua Van are due up with a wide-open title picture in front of them. Royval was originally booked to fight the dynamic Manel Kape, but when “Starboy” pulled out of the fight, Van, the newest flyweight wunderkind, raised his hand.
The 23-year-old Van will try to make it two wins in the month of June alone after knocking out Bruno Silva at UFC 316. The win was Van’s second of 2025, as well as his seventh win out of eight fights since making his debut just two years ago. Each step along the way, Van’s skills appear to make significant leaps, but Royval undoubtedly represents the toughest challenge in Van’s young career so far.
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“Raw Dawg,” the self-proclaimed most exciting fighter in the division, has more or less backed up that claim since entering the promotion in May 2020. Along the way, Royval picked up wins over Tim Elliott, Kara-France, Matt Schnell and Brandon Moreno, often in chaotic fashion. He also challenged Pantoja for the belt in December 2023. Royval’s performance in that bout left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he has been pining for another shot at gold since then. Even though Van’s name does not yet carry the same gravitas as Kape’s in the title picture, Van is doing all he can to change that, and Royval knows a win over anyone in the top 10 is meaningful in the mad dash to gold.
High-level flyweight fights are often among the best examples as to what mixed martial arts can look like. At 125 pounds, you can’t just get by with a slick ground game or fight-ending power. The size and skill level among the elite demands well-roundedness, and that should all be on display when these two fights go down on June 28.
