Payton Talbott Says Sean O'Malley Fight Makes Sense

Payton Talbott sees a potential fight with Sean O'Malley as a natural next step, though he says the timing hinges on the outcome of the Petr Yan-Merab Dvalishvili trilogy at UFC 333 on October 24.

"We'll see what happens with Merab and Yan. If I'm being transparent, if Merab wins then it's a no-brainer. He's already fought Merab plenty of times and lost. If Yan wins, then I don't know, we'll have to see. He is 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. He's called the best striker in our division, and I'd like to put that to the test," Talbott

Talbott, 28, stopped former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo in the first round at UFC 332, extending his win streak to three after his first pro loss to Raoni Barcelos in early 2025. Along the way he's beaten Felipe Lima and Henry Cejudo. O'Malley, meanwhile, has rebounded from two losses to Dvalishvili with wins over Song Yadong and Aiemann Zahabi, and believes he'll get a title shot if Yan retains the belt.