Payton Talbott thinks a fight against former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley makes a lot of sense, especially if Merab Dvalishvili dethrones Petr Yan later this month.
Talbott continued his rise in the 135-pound division with a first-round TKO win over Deiveson Figueiredo in the UFC 332 co-main event Saturday in Salt Lake City. It was his third straight victory, lifting him to 6-1 in the Octagon.
After the fight, Talbott got on the microphone and called out O'Malley - and then he doubled down at the postfight press conference.
"We'll see what happens with Merab and Yan. If I'm being transparent, I think if Merab wins, then it's a no-brainer," Talbott said. "(O'Malley)'s already fought Merab plenty of times and lost. If Yan wins, then I don't know. We'll have to see. (O'Malley) is in a higher position than me. We'll see where my rank goes. I understand the position that I'm in. But it's a fun fight. I think both of us should want it."
Talbott added: "He's called the best striker in our division, and I'd like to put that to the test."
Yan is scheduled to defend the bantamweight title in a trilogy bout against Dvalishvili at UFC 334 on Oct. 24 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. O'Malley called for a title shot after scoring a TKO win over Aiemann Zahabi at the White House in June, but the promotion proceeded to book Yan-Dvalishvili instead.
O'Malley could still get the next title shot, but it would likely depend on who wins between Yan and Dvalishvili. O'Malley holds a win over Yan, making a rematch one of the most compelling matchups in the weight class, while he lost twice to Dvalishvili in title fights in 2024 and 2025.
For his own sake, Talbott hopes to get a crack at O'Malley next - and he believes he matches up favorably with the former champ.
"I personally like when people are similar to my body frame," said Talbott, one of the taller bantamweights in the UFC at 5-foot-10. "I feel like I do a lot better. It's kind of awkward punching midgets. The forehead and the downward angle just gets a little bit awkward. Stylistically, I think we match up very well. I think I have a little bit more power, I think I have more muscle on my frame, and I think I'm just as quick because of my age."
