It’s been almost a year since I last saw you Payton Talbott inside an octagon.
In December, Talbott picked up one of the most impressive wins of his young career dominant Henry Cejudo in the former champion’s retirement battle. Not only did Talbott score a “Triple Cd”, he even got his signature on the Olympic champion’s domestic tour! The win gave Talbott, winner of five out of six UFC bouts, a big boost.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t really been able to capitalize on the sidelines. Despite Talbott’s vocal requests for fights, he has never been able to book anything before this weekend’s (Saturday, October 3, 2026) bout. Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 331 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Talbott opened up about his absence in a recent video his YouTube page. When asked about competing on the UFC White House card, Talbott revealed that he is in talks to make the fight Sean O’Malley but the alleged “broken leg” derailed this collusion … and many others?
“I had to fight Sean (O’Malley), then I had to fight him, I had to fight him, all kinds of names,” Talbott began when asked about the White House. “Supposedly, when I had to fight them, they all had a broken leg. I was like, ‘Dude, what’s with all the legs?’ It must be something in the water. They said, ‘Oh, so-and-so broke his leg.’ He really wants to fight you, but his leg is broken. This guy was going to fight you, but he broke his leg this morning.
“Then it’s funny because the same names that said their legs were broken suddenly get booked … it could be the UFC, it could be people’s fear. I wonder which one?”
Talbott, 28, is one of the most exciting up-and-comers on the roster. Despite the wait, this match against “Daico” is a great opportunity to break into the Bantamweight Top 10. Maybe if he had a number next to his name, that plague of broken legs would finally calm down?
