Brandon Royval has laughed off the viral attention around his girlfriend after the UFC broadcast showed the couple in the crowd, leading fans to joke that he had brought someone “out of his league” to the event. Royval said she is private by nature, took the online noise in stride, and has a career that makes the “gold digger” jokes especially misplaced.
Brandon Royval has addressed the moment his girlfriend unexpectedly became a talking point among UFC fans. The flyweight contender and his partner appeared on the broadcast during the UFC event, and clips quickly spread across X, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, and other platforms. A lot of the response was aimed at Royval rather than the action in the cage, with fans joking that the camera had given them a new reason to pay attention.
“Bro, no one looking at Brandon Moreno,” one fan wrote. Another added, “We all just want to be u bro.”
Brandon Royval Explains Why His Girlfriend’s Viral UFC Moment Was “Hilarious”
That theme carried across social media. “Cameraman said f— Royval,” read one reply, while another person joked, “Fuck I just got the car crash on the freeway. I was looking at the picture.” Royval later leaned into the situation online with a joke that he may have to stop bringing his girlfriend to UFC events. Posts carrying that line gained traction on Reddit after the initial clips circulated.
Speaking on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Royval said he found the entire situation funny because his girlfriend is usually shy and was suddenly being discussed by thousands of people. “It was just funny, as my girlfriend is really shy,” Royval said. “Having her be in the public eye for the first time was hilarious. It was funny to me.”
Royval explained that she handled the attention well, even as some commenters accused her of being with the UFC fighter for money. His response was direct: she is an engineer and earns more than he makes.
“She’s a really good sport about everything,” Royval continued. “She rolled with the punches. People were talking sh-t, saying she was a gold digger. This girl’s an engineer, she makes way more money than I will ever make. I’m the gold digger for sure.”
The UFC lists the Colorado fighter under his long-running “Raw Dawg” nickname, and fans used that too after the clip spread. “I would give myself ‘raw dog’ as a nickname too,” one post read, while another referenced Royval’s recent announcement that he and his girlfriend are expecting a child.
The viral moment also came after Royval has spent years building a recognizable place in the UFC flyweight division. He beat Brandon Moreno by split decision in Mexico City in February 2024, spoiling the former champion’s homecoming in a fight where Royval was not expected to win by many observers. He then sustained two losses and recently defeated Lone’er Kavanagh at UFC 329.
