5 explosive fights to make in the UFC flyweight division

#2. Askar Askarov vs. Brandon Royval

Brandon Royval is among the most underrated fighters in the UFC's flyweight division. 'Raw Dawg' joined the UFC just two years ago and has already vaulted himself into the top tier of the 125-pound weight class.

With his wins over TUF winner Tim Elliot, former interim title challenger Kai Kara-France and top-ranked flyweight Matt Schnell, Royval has established himself as one of the most exciting fighters in the division. The win over Schnell in particular, a first-round submission victory, served as a real statement of intent.

Royval currently sits at No.5 in the flyweight rankings and is riding a two-fight win streak. The American is likely one or two marquee wins away from challenging for the belt and a victory over No.3-ranked Askar Askarov is the perfect springboard to title contention.

Askarov suffered the first defeat of his professional career earlier this year against Kai Kara-France. The Russian will be itching to return to the win column and re-insert himself into the championship mix. It's an intriguing matchup as well, considering Askarov's wrestling prowess and Royval's sneaky submission game.

Askar Askarov vs. Brandon Royval [Images via @askar_mma and @broyval on Instagram]

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#1. Kai Kara-France vs. Alexandre Pantoja – Winner fights for the UFC flyweight title

Back in 2016, for the 24th edition of The Ultimate Fighter reality series, the UFC called upon 16 flyweight champions from regional MMA promotions around the world. With the winner of the show slated to take on then-flyweight kingpin Demetrious Johnson, the stakes were high in this particular season of TUF.

New Zealand's Kai Kara-France and Brazil's Alexandre Pantoja were among the fighters featured on the show and the duo were matched up against one another in the quarterfinal round. Pantoja emerged victorious on that occasion, winning via unanimous decision.

Over half a decade since their first meeting, which was technically an exhibition bout, both Kai Kara-France and Alexandre Pantoja are tantalizingly close to becoming UFC champions.

Kara-France is coming off a TKO loss to Brandon Moreno at UFC 277, which saw him come up short in his first chance at claiming UFC gold. Meanwhile, at the same event, Pantoja earned an explosive win over Alex Perez to further cement his standing as the clear divisional dark horse.

A fight between Pantoja and Kai Kara-France serves as a title eliminator matchup and should ideally be on the undercard of the Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno title unification fight. Considering both flyweights' propensity for highlight reel finishes, this should be an absolute barnburner.