“The vet gave me my first scar. May the skin heal itself to be strong and never split again. Lucky to have such people in my life,” Payton Talbott stated these words laden with self-belief, after Raoni Barcelos handed him his first MMA loss at UFC 311. The Las Vegas native’s monumental setback raised questions about his credibility. But he put all of them to rest with a swift comeback at UFC 317 against Felipe Lima. And his performance seemed to carry plenty of inspiration from two UFC champions.

Payton Talbott has earned a reputation as one of the most talented bantamweights in the UFC. Which naturally brings high expectations and harsh criticism when he falls short. After his loss to the Brazilian veteran, some even labeled him “fraud checked.” So, bouncing back wasn’t an easy process. However, Talbott credits Alexander Volkanovski’s famous UFC 314 post-fight speech, in which the Aussie said, “Adversity is a privilege,” as a key source of motivation that helped him reset his mindset and spark his turnaround.

During the UFC interview with McKenzie Pavacich and Dan Hellie, Talbott stated, “I think Volk said it best. It’s like adversity is an opportunity or something. It’s a privilege. Yeah, ‘Adversity is a privilege’. And I looked at this fight that way, and it was super good timing. Because if I had won that fight in January, I think I would’ve just gone away with the shortcuts a little bit, and it taught me a good lesson.” 

But that’s not all! Talbott also revealed that he cut out all sorts of distractions before stepping into the cage against Felipe Lima. The 26-year-old understands there’s a long career ahead of him, so he distanced himself from worldly pleasures. Much like Sean O’Malley did before facing Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 317. Although the 135-pound prospect didn’t outright mention ‘Suga’ by name, there seemed to be a striking similarity in their approach and inspiration heading into their respective fights.

He added, “I mean, I just have a lot of passions. I like to do a lot of stuff outside of fighting, and I just came to terms with the fact that I’m young and I’m gonna have the rest of my life to do a lot of things. Although I would do it to keep my mind free, I need to prioritize fighting as the thing that I’m doing right now, because it isn’t a game; we’re trying to hurt each other.”  

For a young prospect like Talbott, figuring out how to juggle fighting and life could be the biggest game-changer for him. Absolutely, it doesn’t always mean you’re walking away with the W. At the end of the day, O’Malley still took an L against Merab. However, it really helps a fighter keep leveling up, making adjustments, and improving with every fight. The Las Vegas native showed this by making clear strides in his grappling game. And he was more than willing to dive into how he made those adjustments. Alright, let’s dive into that a bit more.

Payton Talbott’s approach to fighting against Felipe Lima at UFC 317 decoded

Talbott has won over fans with his lightning-fast striking and ability to drop his opponents to the mat. Those seven knockouts really speak for themselves. Still, his grappling has always been a bit of a chink in his armor when it comes to his overall game. At UFC 317, the 26-year-old really brought it, showing off some smooth transitions and solid technical exchanges against Felipe Lima that had everyone talking.

Payton shared the mentality around his improved skillset at the UFC 317 post-fight presser and stated, “Yeah, I could, I mean that was the game plan. Even if he was a better wrestler than me, the goal was to frustrate him and make him feel like he wasn’t. So, I definitely felt like it, and after the first punch I landed, I saw it in his eyes, and I see that with almost every opponent.”

Talbott absolutely smashed his game plan! He ended up winning most of the grappling exchanges, flipping the script on what many expected. Even though his opponent had some strong moments on their feet, Talbott stayed composed and made some smart adjustments. The 135-pound rising star learned some important lessons from his last fight and put them to work against a tough competitor.

Do you think Payton Talbott is gonna make a quick climb and grab a spot in the bantamweight rankings this year? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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