Rising UFC star Payton Talbott scores knockout victory in 19 seconds at UFC 303

Payton Talbott continues to make waves in the mixed martial arts world. The Reno High and University of Nevada graduate recently scored a knockout victory at UFC 303, pushing his professional fighting record to an impressive 8-0.

Not bad for a 25 year old who started fighting right out of high school.

“I wanted to wrestle in college, but I didn’t want to commit to the student-athlete lifestyle,” Talbott told Nevada Sports Net. “I discovered MMA and it was just a lot more fun.”

Talbott continued to attend college and received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from UNR. He says it plays a role in his struggle.

“I just enjoy learning about people,” Talbott said. “The cage is the perfect place to learn.”

Fighting out of the Reno Academy of Combat in Sparks, Talbott brings what Talbott says is “insane cardio, fast pace and adaptability” to the cage.

“I usually try to highlight my opponents’ strengths and weaknesses,” Talbott said.

Talbott’s career took off when he appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series, where he set a bantamweight record for significant strikes. The effort earned Talbott a UFC contract. In November, he won his UFC Fight Night debut in Las Vegas, defeating Nick Aguirre via submission.

“People have shown a lot of support and a lot of love,” Talbott said. “That’s been really cool.”

But with a big UFC opener comes higher expectations. Talbott admits it adds pressure, but it’s a challenge he’s up for.

“I’m scared,” he said. “People expect a lot from me, and I expect a lot from myself. I know there’s a lot of work to be done and a lot of pain to be felt. I’m excited to walk that path.”

A path he hopes will one day lead to a bantamweight championship.

“I’m just trying to enjoy it now because before I know it it’ll be gone,” Talbott said.

Following his recent victory, Talbott wasted no time in calling up his next potential challenger. “I want Adrian Yanez,” Talbott stated in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. “Let’s see if he’s in the top twenty.”

“I like that callout because that’s a fight, that’s a good fight and that’s what I’m for. He’s a top guy, I respect him and I think we can put on a pretty good show. Maybe I’ll catch him at the end of the year,” he added.

Reflecting on his victory, Talbott described the experience as “electric”. He shared his feelings about achieving his dreams and the importance of perseverance. “It feels like all my dreams are coming true. Everything I believe in is now in my hands. I just have to keep doing it,” Talbott said.

Despite the impressive victory, Talbott said he wanted to get more out of the match. “I wanted to get more out of that match than I did. But it’s always good to be overprepared,” he noted.

Speaking of preparation, Talbott finds that living and training in Reno is an advantage. “Just training at that altitude does crazy things for your cardio, your hemoglobin levels in your blood. So those two reasons alone are why I like being in Reno.”

When asked if he felt any disappointment after dropping his opponent, Talbott admitted to a fleeting moment of frustration. “Yeah, a little bit. I gave him a little bit of time to get back up because I obviously didn’t want it to end that quickly, but I saw his head snap back, so I was like, OK, like, You’ve got to finish the job at that point.”

To sum up his fighting strategy, Talbott simply said, “I was just going to throw a 1-2 and it landed.”

Talbott’s next fight is highly anticipated, with fans eagerly awaiting the announcement of his next opponent. If his callout is answered, a clash with Adrian Yanez could be the next exciting chapter in Talbott’s emerging career.