In 2020, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s flyweight division came back with a vengeance. Fresh faces became household names and the division heads into the New Year with so much potential. There are several key fights that will steal the show on UFC events in the months ahead, but this is one the UFC better make in 2021 or we war!

UFC dream fight: Brandon Royval vs. Joseph Benavidez

Brandon Royval had a hell of a year in 2020. He made his short-notice UFC debut on the heels of winning the Legacy Fighting Alliance flyweight title. Subbed two ranked 125-pounders in back-to-back bouts, and was on course to contend for all “Breakthrough Fighter of the Year” awards. That is until a freak shoulder injury during his November loss to Brandon Moreno ended his year on a low note. And even in that fight, he was giving Moreno all he could handle.

https://twitter.com/brandonroyval/status/1347961260504018944

At 28, the sixth-ranked Raw Dawg is just entering his fighting prime. Why not give him a second chance at elite status by eventually pairing him up with one of the best flyweights in UFC history in Joseph Benavidez? Now, Joe-B already has a March date with Askar Askarov set. And the Russian could totally crap on this being a viable fight in the new year. However, a Beefcake and Raw Dawg pairing—besides being the perfect name for a buddy-cop adult film—is still a great generational clash of styles. The technically sound, wrestle driven skills of Benavidez, versus the Tony Ferguson channeling–controlled chaos of Royval. Book it Daddy Matchmaker White.

Who would win?

It’s hard to ever bet against Benavidez, even at 36, but there is something special about Royval that makes me think the Colorado kid gets a career-defining win in that fight.