Brandon Royval claims social media followers cost him UFC main event

UFC flyweight Brandon Royval has opened up about a frustrating matchmaking decision that cost him a main event spot in October 2022. Royval was scheduled to headline a Las Vegas card against Askar Askarov, but the UFC opted instead to book Alexa Grasso—against Viviane Araujo—in the headliner role. According to Royval, UFC officials told him directly that Grasso's substantially larger social media following made her the more valuable draw.

"Having followers is such a big deal," Royval told Ariel Helwani in a recent interview. "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."

The snub prompted Royval (18–9) to reconsider the modern role of social media in fighter visibility and promotion. Dubbed "Raw Dawg," he has since invested more effort into engaging with fans online. That strategy appeared to pay dividends when an on-camera moment at UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey in May 2026 went viral and drove significant engagement on his Instagram.

Inside the Octagon, Royval has also rebuilt his profile through performance. He recently submitted Lone'er Kavanagh at UFC 329 to snap a two-fight losing streak, earning Fight of the Night honors in the process. The combination of growing online presence and renewed fight-night success suggests Royval has taken the lesson to heart: in modern MMA, both social currency and in-cage excellence matter.