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Prospect To Watch | Payton Talbott
Dana White’s Contender Series Graduate Payton Talbott Is Turning Heads Ahead Of His Third UFC Bout At UFC 303: Pereira vs Procházka 2
The bantamweight division is anything but short of intriguing and exciting prospects, but few have captivated the fanbase’s interest the way Payton Talbott has since showing up on Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2023. The Nevada native fights with a fascinating style in the Octagon and comes off as a thoughtful presence outside of it. All told, and particularly after his win over Cameron Saaiman in March 2024, Talbott found himself as one of the hotter up-and-comers in the sport at just 25 years of age, one that skateboarding legend Tony Hawk just had to meet.
Nothing improves one’s stock like continuous winning, and Talbott can raise his tally of UFC wins to three when he faces Yanis Ghemmouri at UFC 303: Pereira vs Procházka 2 in Las Vegas.
How To Watch And Stream UFC 303: Pereira vs Procházka 2
Before he was a fighter to watch, Talbott was an undefeated competitor out of Reno with five finishes in five fights. Facing Reyes Cortez on Dana White’s Contender Series, Talbott went to the scorecards for the first time in his professional career and earned the unanimous nod. Along the way, he set a record for significant strikes landed by a bantamweight on the show as he earned a contract from UFC CEO Dana White, who called him an “absolute predator.”
Payton Talbott vs Reyes Cortez Jr. | DWCS Season 7, Week 1
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Payton Talbott vs Reyes Cortez Jr. | DWCS Season 7, Week 1
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Of course, not getting a finish left Talbott feeling like he performed “a little bit sloppy.” Nonetheless, he told UFC reporter Laura Sanko he hoped to bring a “change of pace” to mixed martial arts and expected people his age to relate to him as he grew in the sport.
In his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Craig three months later, Talbott faced some adversity from Nick Aguirre. However, after the first round, Talbott poured it on his opponent and, before the third round, motioned to Aguirre that he knew he was breaking. A minute into the final frame, Talbott strung together some strikes, which forced Aguirre to shoot for a takedown. Talbott reversed the position before sinking in a rear-naked choke.
He once again lamented his “sloppy” start before “waking up” in the second and third rounds. He also poured some water on his first career submission win, calling chokes “kind of boring” compared with a big strike. That said, it was yet another impressive performance to tally to his record.
Talbott’s biggest test came in a fight between prospects as he faced the 23-year-old Saaiman at UFC Fight Night: Namajuans vs Ribas. Despite being a few years’ Saaiman’s senior, the South African had three UFC wins under his belt.
All Talbott did was deliver his most impressive performance to date, more or less outclassing Saaiman for as long as the fight lasted. Talbott stumbled Saaiman early with a clean left hook before a perfectly timed knee rattled Saaiman in the first round. Impressively, Talbott kept his composure and stayed on the front foot for the first frame. Seconds into the following round, Talbott connected with another left hook that floored Saaiman before follow-up shots earned the stoppage.
UFC 303 Full Fight Card Preview
The quick start was a point of emphasis for Talbott, who told Paul Felder after the fight he felt like he was “keeping this big secret” and pointed to his win over Saaiman as the expectation he puts on himself.
When UFC social media asked him to send a message to his fans, Talbott simply said: “Just enjoy — don’t try to understand.”
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Something UFC fans did understand about Talbott is his love for skateboarding, and when legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk and his kids expressed a desire to meet the rising star, he obliged, going to Hawk’s compound in San Diego. UFC.com contributor E. Spencer Kyte profiled Talbott ahead of his fight at UFC 303 and asked him about the interaction.
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“It’s a dream come true for a kid that grew up in my era; that’s my age because we grew up with Tony Hawk Pro Skater, and it was really cool to be around somebody that did so much for the skate community and the community, in general. He’s such a humble guy and really down to Earth, soft-spoken; it was cool to be around him.
“I was kind of surprised,” he continued. “I was like, ‘Is somebody playing a joke on me?’”
Payton Talbott Fight Week Interview | UFC 303
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Payton Talbott Fight Week Interview | UFC 303
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No jokes, just the perks of capturing the attention of fight fans and peers alike. Talbott hoped to compete on the same card as Conor McGregor, which he says is why he accepted his fight against Ghemmouri, but nonetheless, he’s excited to put on another performance against the 12-2 Frenchman.
The two open the late prelims, which start at 5pm PT / 8pm ET on ESPN and ESPN+.
UFC 303: Pereira vs Procházka 2 took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 29, 2024. See the Final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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