Payton Talbott

Payton Anthony Talbott (born September 9, 1998) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2021, he earned his contract with the promotion after going through Dana White's Contender Series. As of October 6, 2026, he is #7 in the Meta UFC bantamweight rankings.

Background Talbott was born on , in Las Vegas, Nevada, and grew up in Reno, Nevada. He is partly of African American and Choctaw descent. His mother is a plastic surgeon, and he has four siblings: one sister and three brothers. Before discovering mixed martial arts, Talbott played football and competitively wrestled while attending Reno High School.

Talbott graduated from the University of Nevada in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in music. Early in his martial arts career he worked as a barista and had plans of becoming a firefighter.

Mixed martial arts career Early career In 2017, Talbott started training in mixed martial arts at the Reno Academy of Combat. He chose to begin mixed martial arts classes when he saw Conor McGregor’s highlights while sitting at a restaurant, having stopped sports for his college studies. After seven to eight months of training, his coaches proposed to him to make his amateur debut. Talbott then faced all his first opponents in several amateur King of the Cage: Future Legends events from March 2018 to August 2021. He became a two-time KOTC Amateur Bantamweight Champion during his amateur run before turning professional with a total 5–0 amateur record and a 100% finish rate.

Talbott made his professional debut on November 27, 2021, at FirePower 3: Magnum Force in Sacramento, California and finished his opponent in the second round. After a second technical knockout win at FirePower 4: Sudden Impact, he made his third fight at Urijah Faber's A1 Combat and won the A1 Combat Bantamweight Championship on May 28, 2022 in Wheatland, California, beating Hector Fajardo by technical knockout in the second round. He then successfully defended his title twice and won both fights via technical knockout. First, he finished Anthony Jimenez with a flying knee and punches in the second round on October 22, 2022. Talbott then defeated Cristhian Rivas with punches and elbow strikes in round three on March 18, 2023.

Dana White’s Contender Series On August 8, 2023, Talbott faced Reyes Cortez Jr. on Dana White's Contender Series: Season 7, Week 1. Talbott won the fight via unanimous decision. This victory earned him a contract in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Ultimate Fighting Championship Talbott then made his promotional debut on November 18, 2023, facing Nick Aguirre at UFC Fight Night 232. He won the fight by submission in the third round via rear-naked choke.

For his second bout in the UFC, he faced Cameron Saaiman on March 23, 2024, at UFC on ESPN 53. He ended up winning the fight by technical knockout in round two. This victory earned him his first Performance of the Night bonus award.

Talbott faced French-Algerian fighter Yanis Ghemmouri on June 29, 2024, at UFC 303. He won the fight via knockout 19 seconds in the first round. This win earned him another Performance of the Night award.

Talbott faced Raoni Barcelos on January 18, 2025 at UFC 311. In a bout where he was largely controlled and outwrestled, he lost the fight by unanimous decision leading to his first loss in mixed martial arts.

Talbott faced Felipe Lima on June 28, 2025, at UFC 317. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Talbott faced former UFC Flyweight and Bantamweight Champion Henry Cejudo on December 6, 2025 at UFC 323. He won the fight by unanimous decision becoming the last fight of Henry Cejudo’s career.

Talbott faced former UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo on October 3, 2026, at UFC 332. He won the fight by technical knockout in the first round.

Championships and accomplishments Mixed martial arts Professional Ultimate Fighting Championship Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Third fastest knockout/finish in UFC Bantamweight division history (0:19) Urijah Faber's A1 Combat A1 Combat Bantamweight Championship (One time) Two successful title defenses MMA Fighting 2024 Third Team MMA All-Star ESPN 2025 Most Improved Fighter

Amateur King of the Cage KOTC Amateur Bantamweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

|Win |align=center|12–1 |Deiveson Figueiredo |TKO (punches) |UFC 332 | |align=center|1 |align=center|2:09 |Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

|Win |align=center|11–1 |Henry Cejudo |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 323 | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

|Win |align=center|10–1 |Felipe Lima |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 317 | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

|Win |align=center|9–0 |Yanis Ghemmouri |KO (punches) |UFC 303 | |align=center|1 |align=center|0:19 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Amateur record

See also List of current UFC fighters List of Dana White's Contender Series alumni List of male mixed martial artists

References

External links

Payton Talbott

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