How the public is betting Tim Elliott vs. Brandon Royval

UPDATE: 7:16 pm: Brandon Royval wins via submission (arm triangle) at 3:18 of the second round. It’s his first UFC fight and victory, and the first underdog winner on tonight’s card.

Two southpaw flyweights, including one that might need a win to stay in the UFC, do battle when Tim Elliott takes on Brandon Royval at UFC on ESPN 9 tonight at the UFC Apex complex in Las Vegas.

Elliott is 15-10-1 with three KO’s, six submissions, and six wins via the judges. He’s only 2-4 since joining UFC, with almost two years off between December of 2017 and October of 2019. His last two fights were losses: A unanimous decision to Askar Askarov, and a first-round choke from Deiveson Figueiredo.

Royval is 10-4 and making his UFC debut. The 27-year-old has only seen the cards once in a win, with three KO’s and six submissions. He was fighting for the Legacy Fighting Alliance before this, where he had won his last two fights by first-round armbar.

The action is coming in on Royval, who is getting half the money wagered despite being decent underdog for the fight. Though this is his first UFC bout, his nine stoppages in 10 wins might be impressing the sharp cash.

Here are the betting splits at DraftKings Sportsbook for Tim Elliott vs. Brandon Royval at UFC on ESPN on May 30th:

Betting splits

Tim Elliott: Opened at -190, now at -175 — 50% handle, 61% bets
Brandon Royval: Opened at +150, now at +140 — 50% handle, 39% bets

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