Payton Talbott Can Be A Future UFC Champion

Payton Talbott Can Be A Future UFC Champion

I have not done one of these posts in a while so I wanted to bring the series back. I try to find unranked fighters that I believe have a bright future in the UFC or can even be title contenders. Today, I will focus on prospect Payton Talbott, who I believe can be the future UFC Bantamweight Champion.

Talbott is a young prospect who fights out of Reno, Nevada. He has a 9-1 record with 7 TKOs and a 1 submission. Talbott had a hype train around him after his win on Dana White’s Contender Series and 3-0 start in the UFC. Also, part of this is due to Talbott’s charismatic personality and knack for social media. 

His hype train came to a halt when he was defeated by Raoni Barcelos in a unanimous decision. However, I’m here to tell everyone to relax. A lot of people wrote him off saying he got fraud checked but I did not see it that way. In reality, a young prospect lost to a gritty veteran 12 years older than him with 14 more fights under his belt. It’s 2025 we have to let prospects lose fights, there is no reason to overreact because a fighter is not undefeated. 

Furthermore, I thought Talbott’s striking looked good, his cardio was solid after three rounds, and he even had some nice reversals and sweeps. Also, I thought he was taken to deep water and he did not wilt under pressure which is what you want to see from a young prospect. Payton Talbott does need to work on his takedown defense as well as his get-ups after being controlled but that is something that can be fixed.

More on Payton Talbott And What’s Next

Talbott is a super slick striker who has many weapons at his disposal. He has a strong kicking game that can attack all three levels, and he has flashy kicks such as front kicks and spinning heel kicks. Also, he is athletic,c so he throws pretty good flying knees that can catch opponents off guard. 

Ultimately, his best striking attribute is his hands. He flows in his punching combinations, and what he lacks in power, he makes up for in exquisite timing and precision. Also, he frequently goes to the body, which UFC fighters do not do enough of for some reason. Now, take all of his striking prowess and add in his solid ground game and gas tank, and what’s not to like?

I think Talbott has a strong foundation as a fighter and he does not have major flaws, which is what I like in a prospect. I do not doubt he will get better in the grappling aspect of MMA, and I think he will still out-match many fighters on the feet. He does not have an upcoming fight announced yet, but I am excited to see who they give him. He does not have to be rushed into a ranked Bantamweight fight. I think the UFC should let him get three or four fights against unranked opponents to build him and his popularity up. I believe in Talbott’s talent, and after some unranked wins, I think the UFC will have a real contender on their hands.

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