Did Brandon Royval work in Colorado's juvenile justice system? Know all about 'Raw Dawg's' time as a youth service specialist

Brandon Royval made a splash with a stellar debut victory over Tim Elliott, securing a second-round submission in May 2020. However, despite the triumph, Royval wasn't entirely satisfied with his performance and expressed his intention to return to his job working nights at a juvenile detention center in his hometown of Denver, Colorado.

Before stepping into the octagon, 'Raw Dawg' was caught balancing his demanding job as a youth service specialist at the Denver Dream Center with his passion for MMA training. Although the $12,000 show money and $12,000 win bonus from the UFC were not life-changing amounts, they marked a solid starting point for his career as a fighter.

However, the unexpected bonus of $50,000 for Fight of the Night following his performance against Elliott finally gave Royval the push he needed to leave his night job behind and fully commit to pursuing his dreams as a professional fighter.

Even though he has established himself as an MMA fighter, 'Raw Dawg' remains dedicated to mentoring and supporting at-risk middle and high school students at the Denver Dream Center every Wednesday. Founded in 2014, this organization is committed to providing comprehensive support, hosting pro-social events, and offering immediate assistance to support and spread love to those in need.

The 31-year-old American is preparing for a rematch against Brandon Moreno in the main event of the upcoming UFC Mexico. The Fight Night event is scheduled to take place on Feb. 24 at Arena CDMX in Mexico City.

The former adversaries initially faced off at UFC 255 in November 2020, where 'The Assassin Baby' secured a first-round TKO victory over Royval. Now, both fighters are again vying for the title opportunity, with the Mexican losing the belt to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290 in July 2023 and Royval falling short in his championship attempt against the reigning titleholder five months later at UFC 296.

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When Brendon Royval looked back on his time as a youth service specialist

During an interview with The Denver Post last December, Brandon Royval opened up about the challenges he faced while working at the juvenile detention justice center. 'Raw Dawg' stated:

"All I wanted to do was get to the UFC. I didn’t know if I was going to last or if it was going to work out. I just wanted to be there. I took that job home with me. I’ve seen a lot of those kids pass away. I’ve seen a lot of them overdose. I’ve seen them get arrested again. I’ve seen them commit murder. You see so much. But you also see it for what it is: a bunch of kids dealt a rough hand."

Despite the hardships, he found motivation to work tirelessly towards achieving his dream of making it to the UFC.