Payton Talbott Returns at UFC 332, Says Cejudo Win Rebuilt His Self-Image

Payton Talbott hasn't fought since he swept the scorecards against Henry Cejudo at UFC 323 more than nine months ago, a win that pushed him to 11-1 and planted him at No. 12 in the bantamweight rankings. This Saturday at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City, the 28-year-old Reno native steps back in as the co-main event against former two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, the division's No. 9 at 25-7-1.

The Cejudo result wasn't close. Talbott even landed Cejudo's own signature inside-trip takedown on his way to a one-way decision, dismantling a fighter he describes as deeply cerebral. He'd come into that bout off a summer win over Felipe Lima, rebounding from the lone blemish on his record — a January loss to Raoni Barcelos — and he says it told him exactly how far his game had come.

What the Break Taught Him

The layoff wasn't planned, but Talbott leaned into it. He worked on music, traveled, and — in a detail he's clearly enjoyed repeating all week — finished both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom to near-100 percent completion. His point: three years ago he'd never have had the patience. He says slowing down and doing fewer things well beat spreading himself thin.

The self-assessment runs deeper than video games. Talbott admits he was overconfident early in his career and paid for it with that Barcelos loss. He talks about the trap on both ends — complacency on one side, anxious overtraining that breaks your system on the other. His line of the week: inside the cage you can't lie, so the more honest your picture of yourself, the better you perform.

The Figueiredo Problem

Figueiredo is a dangerous out, even coming off a second-round submission loss to Song Yadong. He owns 9 knockouts and 9 submissions across his 25 wins, and Talbott says the Brazilian has shown more spark this fight week than in his recent outings. That suits him fine — he said he performs best when the opponent is at his most dangerous, in the gym and in the cage alike.

As for the verdict afterward, Talbott doesn't much care what people remember about the details. He just wants them to walk away saying the kid can fight. UFC 332: Silva vs. Wang runs live from the Delta Center on October 3, with the main card starting at 8pm ET.