October 3 is gonna be WILD! Payton Talbott, fresh off his biggest career win, is set to face former champ Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 332 from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The UFC just dropped the news about this bantamweight showdown, and it’s got “must-watch” written all over it. This isn’t just another fight, folks, this is a statement opportunity.
Talbott Is Coming for the Rankings
Talk about momentum! Talbott is riding high after his unanimous decision victory over former two-division champ Henry Cejudo at UFC 323 back in December. That’s a massive win to put on the resume. He’s got an impressive 11-1 MMA record, 5-1 in the UFC, with only one blemish against Raoni Barcelos at UFC 311. This 27-year-old is looking to break into the UFC bantamweight rankings, and a win against a name like Figueiredo is exactly how you do it. He’s hungry, he’s proven, and he’s not slowing down.
Figueiredo’s Back Is Against the Wall
On the other side of the Octagon is Deiveson Figueiredo, a former UFC flyweight champ, but let’s be real, his recent record is tough to look at. He’s coming into this fight having lost two in a row, with back-to-back setbacks against top contenders Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong. Even tougher? Figueiredo has dropped four of his last five fights overall. His lone win in that stretch was a split decision against Montel Jackson at UFC Fight Night 261. With a 25-7-1 MMA record and 14-7-1 in the UFC, the talent is undeniable, but the recent slide is a huge question mark. Can he turn it around against a rising star like Talbott, or is this the moment he truly starts to fade?
The Rest of the Stacked Card
UFC 332 isn’t just about the main event, either. They’ve stacked this card with six other fights already announced. We’re getting a light heavyweight clash between Johnny Walker (22-10 MMA, 8-7 UFC) and Mick Parkin (10-1 UFC, 4-1), both of whom are looking to bounce back after recent losses. Walker dropped a split decision to Dominick Reyes in April at UFC 327, and Parkin took his first career setback with a unanimous decision loss to Marcin Tybura in March. Plus, we’ve got Ateba Gautier vs. Roman Kopylov, Damian Pinas vs. Andrey Pulyaev, Ismail Naurdiev vs. Marvin Vettori, Alden Coria vs. Imanol Rodriguez, and Court McGee vs. Eric Nolan.
This whole card is shaping up to be a wild night, but all eyes are gonna be on that bantamweight clash. Can Talbott keep his incredible run going and stamp his name in the rankings? Or will Figueiredo find that championship fire and stop his slide? October 3 can’t come fast enough!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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