Payton Talbott recently shared how his fight with Henry Cejudo came about for UFC 323. The fight surprised many fans. Cejudo had hinted his next fight might be his last.
UFC CEO Dana White made the fight as part of an exciting lineup for UFC 323. The event will take place at T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 6. Several current and former champions, including Cejudo, will compete at the event.
Cejudo enters the fight hoping to snap his three-fight losing skid. His return hasn’t gone as planned. When the former two-division UFC champion came out of retirement, he expected better results.
Now, ‘Triple C’ has a lot to lose. Talbott, on the other hand, has everything to gain. A win over Cejudo could push the young bantamweight prospect up the ranking. For the former two-division UFC champion, a loss could end his legendary career with a fourth consecutive loss.
Talbott explained that he was originally seeking a fight for UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden. Several potential opponents fell through, but he was offered Cejudo at UFC 323 instead, and accepted the challenge.
“The reason it happened is because I said yes. People see this fight announcement, they see that get made, they don’t see the how many guys say no,” Talbott said during his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show. “I was down to fight any of the names between [Cejudo and I] but it just didn’t work out that way. I’m super exited to fight Henry. It’s probably the best fight I could have gotten.”
Payton Talbott Praises Henry Cejudo Ahead of UFC 323 Matchup
Payton Talbott also took time to praise Cejudo and highlight the significance of getting this matchup. Cejudo has accomplished a great deal in his MMA career, and Talbott holds him in high regard.
Before his MMA career, Cejudo won a gold medal winning at the 2008 Olympics. He brought that same competitive spirit to the UFC, where he defeated Demetrious Johnson to win the flyweight championship.
After successfully defending his flyweight title against TJ Dillashaw, Cejudo moved up to bantamweight. There, he defeated Marlon Moraes for the vacant title. He successfully defended it once, finishing Dominick Cruz by 2nd round TKO, before retiring.
Talbott praised Cejudo for his impressive resume and called him a generational athlete.
“[Cejudo’s] one of the GOATs. He was a belt holder at my weight, the weight below, he was an Olympic gold medalist,” Talbott told The Ariel Helwani Show. “There will never be another Henry Cejudo. I have a ton of respect for him just for that reason.”
Talbott Explains Reason He Wanted to Fight Cejudo
For many UFC fighters, having the chance to showcase their strengths and make an impression is vital. Minimizing weaknesses gives them more time to improve while avoiding a loss.
Talbott, he isn’t concerned about favorable matchups or easy wins. Instead, he wants to challenge himself against the best available opponent regardless of their style.
During his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Talbott explained that fighting opponents like Cejudo gives extra motivation.
“I’m not taking fights just because I’m going to win. I’m not really interested in favorable matchups,” Talbott said. “We’re here to just fight and test the best version of ourselves. I feel like that’s what’s important. So, yeah, those are my reasons [for accepting the Cejudo fight].
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