Athletes
The Unflappable Payton Talbott
Rising Bantamweight Discusses Debut Win, Uncanny Poise, And More Ahead Of Sophomore Battle With Cameron Saaiman on Saturday
Payton Talbott lost the first round of his UFC career on all three scorecards, and yet at the start of the third round of his debut bout against Nick Aguirre, the Dana White’s Contender Series grad was so comfortably in control of the fight that he motioned to his opponent that he was breaking.
Less than a minute later, Talbott forced Aguirre to tap out, giving him his first victory inside the Octagon.
“I wasn’t super-happy with my performance,” Talbott said on Wednesday afternoon, reflecting on his debut effort just a couple days in advance of his sophomore appearance against Cameron Saaiman on Saturday evening at the UFC APEX. “I didn’t think I got to show a lot of what I have to offer — but I was glad I got the finish. Stylistically, it was a tough matchup for me. I’m going to continue putting a lot of work into preventing wrestlers from just being able to take rounds from me.
“Honestly, it was takedown defense and being more active, more threatening on the ground,” he added, picking out the particulars that failed him in the opening stanza. “I think if I can convince people that they don’t want to stay on the ground with me because I can threaten submissions and be active, that will prevent them from sitting on top of me.
“I’ve always worked my takedown defense, and, in the general sense, it’s pretty strong; Nick was just super-strong, a college wrestler, and was dedicated to the takedown only.”
The shift from getting stuck on bottom and losing the first round in his maiden appearance inside the Octagon to knowing Aguirre was on the brink of giving up seven minutes later reflects one of the intangible pieces that makes the 25-year-old Talbott an intriguing prospect to track in the bantamweight division.
No matter the opponent or the situation, the Reno, Nevada native is unflappable inside the cage, showing a calmness and poise beyond his years and level of experience.
“I spar with a lot of heavy guys at my gym,” began Talbott when asked how and where those traits have been developed. “A lot of the guys I spar with, get heavy rounds with at my gym are bigger than me. And I think I’ve been through some really hard s*** in life — mentally, I’ve really gone through it, especially when I was 18; I had some hard struggles.”
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When asked to expand on those adolescent challenges, the unbeaten prospect smiled and chalked it up to traditional battles that often come with starting to progress into adulthood.
“You know how it is — coming of age, finding your purpose, getting a little too in your head, fighting the demons.”
In addition to fighting demons in early adulthood and enjoying doing the same in the Dark Souls series of video games, fighting is also now what Talbott does professionally, and his progression through the ranks and onto the UFC stage in a short amount of time illustrates the promise the University of Nevada product carries.
After a five-fight amateur career that stretched out over more than four years, Talbott has gone from making his professional debut at the end of November 2021 to claiming his first victory inside the Octagon basically two years later, advancing his record to 7-0 in the process.
It’s been a whirlwind for the thoughtful, articulate psychology major, who admits that everything happening so quickly has been a challenge.
“That was just to touch on how life has been lately,” he said, addressing an Instagram post that carried the caption “It’s all happening in the blink of an eye” and showed the progression of his career in a sped-up format.
“I haven’t been a pro fighter for more than two-and-a-half years, so everything has moved really fast. Everything is just passing me by in the blink of an eye; things happen so quick. I’ll wake up, do my stuff during the day, and then it’s already time to go to training and go to bed.”
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While he admitted that things happening so quickly is a challenge, Talbott acknowledged that part of the reason for it happening comes from the fact that things are progressing quickly for him and he’s fully immersed in what he’s doing.
“I’m managing it,” he said of the hectic pace of life. “It sucks — I don’t like life passing by; time is something you can never get back — but I’m adapting. I think it’s passing by because I’m having so much fun with all this, enjoying the whole process.”
One of the positive offshoots of things progressing quickly is that he’s seemingly been dropped into the fast lane as far as opportunities go, as Saturday’s matchup with Saaiman is a step up in competition and a pairing with another promising, young bantamweight talent.
A fellow Contender Series grad, the South African rattled off three straight wins to begin his UFC tenure before landing on the wrong side of the results last time out against Christian Rodriguez, who has become a bit of a “prospect killer” over the last 12 months. Like Talbott, Saaiman reached the UFC with a limited amount of experience, but a wealth of upside, and the sophomore knows he’s in for a good time when the two square off with one another this weekend.
“I was happy, I was ecstatic,” Talbott said when asked about the pairing with Saaiman. “That’s the perfect matchup, that’s the people’s fight, and I’ll take that any day.
“He’s got some good vibes and I like the way he approaches the fight game; it’s not like a lot of people,” he added, offering his assessment of what his 23-year-old opponent brings to the table. “He represents a newer generation of fighting. I think we’re both really excited to get after each other.
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“I also know he’s a dog. He has an intense belief in himself and he’s gonna come ready to throw.”
And for Talbott, that’s all he’s after — a chance to get in there, showcase his skills, and drag Saaiman into deep waters, where he hopes the opportunity to collect another stoppage will present itself.
“A finish — that’s really what I’m hoping for,” said Talbott when asked to define what success this weekend looks like for him. “I know he’s really, really tough and it’s going to be hard to get there, but a finish late in the fight is success for me.”
As for what comes next on this non-stop adventure, there are two things on the impressive prospect’s wish list for the rest of the year.
“I think by the end of the year I want to compete for a crowd; I want to experience that and try to sell a bunch of tickets,” said Talbott, who has thus far only competed at the UFC APEX. “And I want to fight somebody that I actually know.
“I feel like the guys I’m getting matched up with, I don’t really know because I don’t know a lot of fighters, and have to do all this research, but if I’m at the point to where they give me a name and it’s like, ‘Oh f*** yeah! I know that guy,’ then I feel like I’ve made it.”
UFC Fight Night: Ribas vs Namajunas took place on March 23, 2024 live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. See the final Prelim and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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