UFC 317 Fight Card Gets Major Update With Injury
On Monday, Brandon Royval announced that his UFC 317 fight against the No. 6 ranked Manel Kape was off. The No. 1 ranked UFC flyweight also announced that his replacement opponent would be Joshua Van, who entered UFC 316 as the No. 14 ranked 125-pound contender. Van knocked out the No. 12 ranked Bruno Silva at the top of the UFC 316 preliminary card. Van is likely to jump in the rankings, thanks to that victory.
"With great regret, I come to inform that I am out of the next #UFC317 competition.
"I suffered a foot fracture during the training &, after medical evaluation, I was instructed to have surgery & focus 100% on recovery.
"It's not easy to stay out of something I've been preparing for with so much dedication, and without a doubt this would be the most advantageous fight of my career but I understand that this is just another challenge on the way and I trust the plans that Allah has for me!
'I sincerely thank everyone who is with me - we remain firm, stronger with each obstacle. The battle was only postponed... I'll be back soon!' Kape wrote on X.
Kape and Royval were scheduled to meet in March 2025, but Royval withdrew from that fight due to concussions. Kape stayed on the card, beating Asu Almabayev by TKO. The win was Kape's second straight TKO win and improved his record to 6-1 dating back to August 2021.
'Manel Kape is out, Joshua Van is stepping in,' Royval said on Instagram. 'I have zero idea of the extent of Manel Kape's injuries but I do know I have the hottest prospect and probably the most exciting UFC flyweight in front of me. Really nothing changes for me as far as what's in front of me. I've got a gangster that's ready to take my head off and earn his name off of me.'
Van confirmed Royval's statement, saying on X, 'I'll be fighting Royval June 28!!!'
Royval last fought in October 2024 when he scored a split decision win over Tatsuro Taira in a 'Fight of the Night' bonus-winning performance at the top of a UFC Vegas fight card.
The UFC has not officially announced the Royval vs. Van matchup for UFC 317.
The UFC officially announced the five-fight line-up for UFC 317 during the UFC 316 broadcast.
Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira - For vacant UFC lightweight title
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France - For Pantoja's UFC flyweight title
Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov - Middleweight
Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano - Lightweight
Jhonata Diniz vs. Justin Tafa - Heavyweight
We will have more on the UFC 317 fight card as fight night approaches. UFC 317 takes place on June 28 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Commanders activate Terry McLaurin off PUP list, All-Pro receiver's contract situation still up in the air
The Washington Commanders announced Saturday that they have activated All-Pro wide receiver Terry McLaurin off the physically unable to perform list. The move is unrelated to McLaurin's contract negotiations, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. And, so, although McLaurin is making progress in his return from an ankle injury that bothered him late last season, his contract situation is still up in the air. The Commanders star wideout is in the third year of a three-year, $68.4 million contract with an average annual salary (AAV) of $22.8 million. He skipped spring practices and mandatory minicamp and then held out the first week of training camp before reporting as a hold-in. The seventh-year receiver was fined $200,000 for his four-day holdout. McLaurin, who turns 30 in September, is looking for a new deal that reflects a surging wide receiver market and his WR1 value in a Commanders offense led by now-second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels. More specifically, McLaurin is targeting the $33 million AAV the Pittsburgh Steelers are now paying DK Metcalf, ESPN's John Keim reported Saturday. It's important to note, though, that Metcalf is 27. And as Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson pointed out, only two wide receivers in league history have signed contracts the year they were 30 or turning 30 that earned them more than $23 million annually: Tyreek Hill in 2024 with the Miami Dolphins ($30 million AAV) and Davante Adams ($28 million) with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. McLaurin has been vocal this offseason about his desire to continue his career in Washington. He did, however, request a trade on July 31 as contract frustrations boiled over. McLaurin, now a two-time Pro Bowler, ranked second in the NFL last season with a career-best 13 touchdown catches. He also led the league with 24 contested catches during the regular season, according to Pro Football Focus. While spilling over 1,000 receiving yards for the fifth year in a row, McLaurin made 82 grabs, at least 37 more than every other Washington wideout during Daniels' NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 2024. Now that McLaurin's activated off the Commanders' PUP list, he's eligible to practice. That said, his return will likely begin with work off to the side with athletic trainers.
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jaguars are taking a cautious approach with 2-way star Travis Hunter in preseason game at the Saints
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars plan to be cautious with two-way star Travis Hunter in their preseason game at New Orleans on Sunday. Although coach Liam Coen said Saturday that starters would play against the Saints, the Jaguars declined to commit to getting Hunter on the field after he sustained an upper-body injury during a scrimmage Thursday. Hunter is expected to go through pregame warmups inside the Superdome before the team determines his playing status. The Heisman Trophy winner was held out of a walk-through Friday as a precaution. He was on the field for the hourlong session and carried a play-calling sheet while following the action closely. Hunter played on offense and defense, totaling 18 snaps, in Jacksonville's preseason opener against Pittsburgh last Saturday. He also played both ways during a sloppy scrimmage five days later before crashing hard to the ground while defending a deep pass late. The scrimmage included 10 penalty flags, at least seven dropped passes, an interception and a few more balls that nearly got picked. It was the kind of performance that surely factored into Coen's decision to get his starters — including quarterback Trevor Lawrence — back on the field against the Saints. 'That's fatigue,' Coen said. 'That's lack of concentration when you're getting fatigued and tired. Every time we come out, they go hard.' Hunter was one of 10 players held out of practice this week because of injuries, joining right guard Chuma Edoga, right tackle Anton Harrison, defensive lineman Arik Armstead, defensive lineman Maason Smith, offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen, safety Caleb Ransaw, linebacker Jalen McLeod and cornerbacks Tyson Campbell and Montaric Brown. ___ AP NFL:
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pirates Preview: Bucs go for 2 in a row vs. Cubs
This article originally appeared on PGHBaseballNOW. The Pittsburgh Pirates pulled out a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon to snap a five-game losing streak. Braxton Ashcraft threw five strong innings for the Pirates and Jack Suwinski hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth inning. The Pirates (52-71) will look to make it two wins in a row against the Cubs (68-53) on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Click here to read more from Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
