Payton Talbott is making his first appearance since December, and he’s heading into UFC 332 this Saturday in Salt Lake City as arguably a bigger attraction than the actual main event title fight between Natalia Silva and Wang Cong. That’s a huge statement, especially for a guy ranked outside the bantamweight Top 10, but matchmakers are treating him like the star he is.
This Guy’s Been Waiting, Not Fighting, In 2026
Seriously, 2026 has been a frustrating year for Talbott. The guy’s spent more time just waiting around than actually stepping into the octagon. We’re talking about potential bouts against Sean O’Malley, Cory Sandhagen, and others that just evaporated. He told CBS Sports he wants “definitely rankings” in his next opponent, adding, “I want to be more active next year.” He’s already 28, and a big 2027 could be massive for one of the UFC’s most popular young fighters.
He was straight up about the missed fights, too. O’Malley was in talks before Figueiredo got the nod. Sandhagen? Talbott said, “I don’t think he said no. I think it didn’t happen because of logistics with the card.” And get this, Talbott even called out Marcus McGhee, who supposedly “wanted nothing to do with me.” This dude isn’t afraid to say it how it is, and you gotta respect that.
Figueiredo Is Just The Next Step In A Major Run
Talbott already has one legendary name on his resume: Henry Cejudo. He beat Cejudo in December, retiring the former two-division champ who had an Olympic gold medal and a Hall of Fame career. Not only did Talbott win, but he took down the Olympic wrestler three times! Now, he’s up against another former titleholder in Deiveson Figueiredo, who was a two-time flyweight king.
Taking out two former champs back-to-back? That’s legacy-defining stuff. Talbott knows it, saying, “That’s huge. I have a lot of other things that I want to do before I’m done with this sport, but that’s something awesome. To take out two former champs. Henry was one of the GOATs of this sport… Putting people away who will age well, I think I’ll be proud of that.” Figueiredo, for his part, isn’t looking to be a stepping stone, so expect fireworks.
You can catch all the action live this Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, or stream it on Paramount+. Talbott is hungry for a busy 2027, and this fight is the absolute perfect way to kick that off.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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