Payton Talbott shared some humorous and candid thoughts on meeting UFC stars like Alex Pereira, Sean Strickland, and Jamahal Hill ahead of his fight against Raoni Barcelos at UFC 311.
Talking about his experience meeting the UFC stars in an interview with Full Violence, Talbott described Pereira's presence as hard to ignore, even if the Brazilian didn’t say much to him. Talbott recalled that Pereira just “kind of moaned” in his signature low voice when they met.
Strickland, on the other hand, was speaking loudly about something that could be heard from two rooms away. Talbott found himself walking into Strickland’s rant and immediately recognized him by his voice before seeing him in person. Regarding Jamahal Hill, Talbott found him to be goofy and humorous. He said:
"I think Pereira was like when you meet him you kind of feel like his presence. [He didn't say anything but] he just kinda moaned. Sean Strickland was like how he is. I didn't actually talk to him. He was just like ranting about something like I could hear him from like two rooms over. I walked [and] I was like that sounds like Sean Strickland and I kept walking. Jamahal Hill's kind of goofy [and] he's funny."
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Check out Payton Talbott's comments below (14:00):
Talbott, an undefeated bantamweight with a 9-0 record, is quickly rising through the ranks of the UFC. He earned his contract after a dominant performance on Dana White's Contender Series, setting a record for significant strikes by a bantamweight.
His success continued with a submission win in his UFC debut and a knockout performance that earned him back-to-back Performance of the Night awards.
Ariel Helwani reveals Alex Pereira's next fight might be against Magomed Ankalaev
Alex Pereira has been at the center of debates regarding his reluctance to fight with Magomed Ankalaev. After multiple callouts from Ankalaev, it seems Pereira will finally face him in the octagon.
Ariel Helwani reported that Pereira's planned move to the heavyweight division will take at least six months, with the focus now on defending his light heavyweight title. Pereira had previously dismissed the fight with Ankalaev, citing his opponent’s “boring” fighting style and blaming the UFC for the situation.
Helwani took to X to clarify the situation and wrote:
"Alex Pereira’s next opponent will be Magomed Ankalaev, per sources. That’s the plan. No plans of him moving to heavyweight any time soon. In fact, per his team, he’ll need at least six months to move up the way they want him to."
Check out Ariel Helwani's X post below: