One of the most anticipated bouts at UFC on ESPN 44 didn’t last long thanks to the striking prowess of Brandon Royval.

On the preliminary portion of the card at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., Royval (15-6 MMA, 5-2 UFC) made quick work of Matheus Nicolau. The flyweight bout fight aired on ESPN+, before the main card on ESPN.

Royval landed a crushing knee to drop Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC), and immediately followed up with hard elbows on the mat to get the knockout stoppage at 2:09 of the opening round.

Watch video of the finish below (via Twitter):

“All you motherf*ckers betting against me, y’all must’ve forgot!” Royval said during his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier.

“… I’m one of the most skilled fighters in the division. I decided to be exciting. I’m trying to get 50 Gs every time I’m out here, and I’m sure I’m gonna get this time again baby, we’re making bank.”

“Raw Dog” has now won three straight, entering on the heels of back-to-back wins in 2022; a split decision win over Rogerio Bontorin and a submission of Matt Schnell. After his second-straight stoppage, Royval has his eyes on a shot at the UFC flyweight title.

“Welcome to the Raw Dog show. We want that belt next!”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 44.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie