Jorge Masvidal has issued a warning to Payton Talbott after Talbott expressed interest in facing Sean O’Malley. Talbott (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) challenged the former 135-pound titleholder O’Malley (20-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) following his swift first-round TKO win over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City. O’Malley responded, indicating he’s open to a fight with Talbott—provided bantamweight champion Petr Yan loses to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333 on October 24 in Abu Dhabi.
Masvidal believes O’Malley would pose a significant challenge for Talbott. “He might look flashy, but Sean O’Malley is no pretender—he can fight,” Masvidal stated on the “Deep Waters” podcast. “He would absolutely dominate Payton right now with his exceptional footwork and experience in five-round bouts.”
Masvidal also shared his thoughts on Talbott’s recent victory over Figueiredo (25-8-1 MMA, 14-8-1 UFC). “Talbott surprised me in his fight against Henry Cejudo,” Masvidal said. “But in this latest fight, Figueiredo didn’t seem mentally like his usual self—not to disrespect him, but it was unlike the fighter I know. So, I expected Talbott to take this one.”
Fan Take: This rivalry highlights the exciting talent emerging in the bantamweight division and sets the stage for a potentially thrilling matchup. For fight fans, seeing O’Malley and Talbott clash would offer insights into the evolving landscape of the sport and could significantly impact title contention dynamics.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
