Brandon Royval’s tattoos are concentrated on his arms. A portrait and a skull stand out on the right; the left sleeve uses broader black curves and shaded shapes. The chest and stomach remain mostly open.

The two sleeves have different looks. The photos show where the ink sits, but don’t explain who the portraits represent or what every shape means.

The Portrait on His Right Upper Arm

On Royval’s right upper arm, a woman’s face sits below a larger tiger-like head. Small red marks add color around the portrait, while dark shapes sweep over the shoulder and shaded lines continue toward the elbow. In an angled portrait, both faces are easy to make out.

The red stays in a few spots; most of the sleeve is black and gray. The available image doesn’t identify the woman or explain why Royval chose the portrait.

The Dark Patterns in His Left Sleeve

Royval’s left sleeve has larger, darker forms. Curves bend into spirals and connect to shaded work higher on the shoulder. Lighter strips between the black areas keep the pattern from reading as a solid band.

With both forearms raised, the difference between the sleeves is clear: this side relies on broad shapes, while the right includes more recognizable faces. The left arm turns around the body, and gloves and tape cover part of the wrist, so one photo can’t show its full outline.

Some shapes look creature-like, but the images don’t confirm a specific mythological figure or cultural reference.

Skull Imagery and Forearm Shading

A skull is visible on Royval’s right forearm below denser shading. Its dark eye sockets and rounded outline are easier to see in the official portrait; another event photo shows the arm turned toward the camera. The glove hides the end of the tattoo.

In a December 2022 interview with BJPenn.com, Royval mentioned the ink around his wrist while discussing a broken wrist. He didn’t say the tattoos were caused by, or connected to, that injury. The conversation confirms the ink was there; it doesn’t explain the skull.

How Both Sleeves Look in Motion

Against Matheus Nicolau, Royval has one arm extended and the other near his face. The turning torso exposes different parts of each sleeve: the left forearm’s dark curves stay visible, while the right arm shows another strip of shaded work.

The action shot also makes the open chest and abdomen easy to see. The sleeves come close to the torso at the shoulders but don’t join into a large chest piece. Pose and lighting change how much detail shows, especially in the finer gray shading.

Royval Outside the Fight Photos

The final photo shows Royval training at the UFC Performance Institute, in a shirt that covers much of his arm ink. It adds context about the person wearing the tattoos, rather than a close view of them.

Ahead of UFC 329, Royval talked about trying to stay composed in exchanges and choosing when to answer a strike. That interview speaks to his approach in the cage; it doesn’t provide a full tattoo inventory. The portrait, skull and broad left-arm patterns are clear in other photos, while their personal meanings remain unexplained.

The interview below shows Royval speaking after a fight.