LAS VEGAS – Payton Talbott met the media Wednesday ahead of his fight at UFC 323.
Talbott (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) takes on former two-division champion Henry Cejudo (16-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) in a bantamweight bout on the main card Saturday at T-Mobile Arena (pay-per-view, ESPN2/FX/Disney+, ESPN+). At media day, Talbott took questions from members of the press corps before his fight.
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In January, Talbott lost to Raoni Barcelos in what is one of the biggest betting upsets in UFC history. Talbott was as much as a 12-1 favorite. But he rebounded from that setback, the first of his career, with a win over Felipe Lima in June. He said he’s now learned to look at things a little differently.
“It just taught me to really prioritize things and give fighting its respect. It takes a lot of attention and you have to come ready to compete every time,” Talbott said.
Still, the 27-year-old Talbott said he struggled to find opponents for a third fight in 2025 until Cejudo, a former dual flyweight and bantamweight champ, stepped up for his (second) retirement fight.
That means, he thinks, he’s still getting his due from the division’s other standouts.
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“Why do you guys think this fight got booked? We went down the line and got a lot of nos, but Henry said yes,” Talbott said. “It’s really nice to know it’s his last fight and he’s going to come in there with everything he has. That’s amazing for me. If my opponent is doing better and looks better, I’m going to rise to the occasion, as well.”
Talbott isn’t unfamiliar with Cejudo. He went to Arizona to train with him earlier in his career. He said before their fight was booked, he hoped to see Cejudo go out on a win – but now he knows he’ll have to be the one to prevent that.
And to do it, he’ll be tasked with trying to avoid what got him in trouble against Barcelos – eight takedowns. Cejudo is an Olympic gold medalist wrestler. But Talbott said now he gets a chance to show he’s leveled up since January.
“I don’t see them as super similar opponents – a lot of people are saying it’s the same matchup, but it’s really not,” Talbott said of Barcelos and Cejudo. “But I do see it as a big opportunity for redemption.”
Check out Talbott’s full media day interview in the video above.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 323: Payton Talbott seeking wrestling redemption vs. Henry Cejudo
