Even though Payton Talbott is not even two years into his UFC career, he has already cultivated quite a reputation. He is not only arguably the brightest and most-hyped prospect on the roster, but also one with a distinct personality.
When it comes to mixed martial arts, it doesn’t take a whole lot to come off as “different.” Sure, fighters are already two steps to the side of “normal” — you have to be in order to get punched for a living — but Talbott is moving to his own beat in a variety of his ways. In the Octagon, he is eerily calm, as well as shockingly devastating. All but one of his fights have ended inside the distance, which is particularly eye-opening, considering he is a bantamweight.
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But, like Israel Adesanya and Sean O’Malley before him, he is also seen as “different.” Depending on how you feel about painted nails, septum piercings, geometric tattoos and the occasional unorthodox fitness class, Talbott is captivating or confounding fight fans. He stands out so much that skateboarding legend Tony Hawk brought him out to skate at his warehouse and reclusive singer & songwriter Frank Ocean linked up with him when they were in the same city. At the end of the day, though, he has captivated audiences.
None of that matters if Talbott couldn’t fight, but three finishes in his first three trips to the Octagon are enough to put that question to bed.

“My life has changed quite a bit,” Talbott told UFC.com. “It's gotten a lot better, and my circle has stayed pretty close. But I have all these networks of people, people that I've met that I can reach out to, so more collaborations and stuff to come.”
At UFC 311: Makhachev vs Moicano, Talbott gets the veteran test in the form of Raoni Barcelos. The Brazilian is 7-4 in the Octagon, including wins over Said Nurmagomedov, Chris Gutierrez and Trevin Jones. He is longer in the tooth at 37 years old, but his 15 finishes speak to the real threat he presents in this matchup.
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Oddsmakers have Talbott slotted as the largest favorite on the card by a large margin. Some young fighters might see that hype, hear that buzz and shrink as they feel the spotlight getting brighter. Talbott, thus far, has only stepped up to the occasion, and he doesn’t expect to betray his ice in his veins demeanor any time soon.
“Nobody’s expectations are higher than mine for myself, so it doesn't really change for me.”
In fact, the positive noise humors him more than anything.
“It’s more just funny, like, ‘Oh, now you guys are starting to figure it out. OK,’” he said.
Talbott doesn’t really have a particular path he hopes to take up the bantamweight ladder, arguably the deepest division in the UFC. He just wants to deliver “wholesome fights” and “dogfights.” Take that as you will.
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Some might read Talbott’s demeanor as dismissive or uninterested, but the results speak for themselves. He even seems to handle the ebbs and flows of his growing fame well. His surprising meetup with Ocean begged several questions, and he sees why the photo with Ocean—whom he described as a “very productive human” with a “beautiful brain”—became “a bit of a thing,” but he downplays it as just your run-of-the-mill friendship.
The 26-year-old almost seems prepared for the inevitable pushback. It happens to all stars, and Talbott has “star” written all over him. All he needs to do is continue winning, and preferably, winning spectacularly.

Fighting on the first pay-per-view card of the year gives Talbott an opportunity to have a heck of a 2025 if he wants it. He says as much and is excited to fill the year with “productive things in and outside of fighting.” At the current moment, it seems like he’ll have eyes glued to him no matter what he does, and he aspires for fans to see one thing about him clearly: he’s here to fight.
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“I just hope that (fans) are watching (and) they just see how much I love fighting,” he said. “Just fighting, for what it is.”
UFC 311: Makhachev vs Moicano took place live from Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on January 18, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!