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Dana White's Contender Series
Payton Talbott | Dana White’s Contender Series Grad Showcase
Highlighting Fighters Who Made Their Mark On Dana White’s Contender Series And Have Continued To Impress In The UFC
Dana White’s Contender Series has proven to be a launching pad for rising UFC stars, offering fighters the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of the UFC CEO.
With often just one chance to make a lasting impression, DWCS fighters can earn a UFC contract based solely on their performance that night if White believes they have what it takes to compete with UFC talent.
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In this series, we showcase DWCS grads who have started to rise the ranks since earning their UFC contract on the show. Next up, one of the UFC bantamweight division’s hottest prospects.
Payton Talbott
Coming into his Dana White’s Contender Series bout undefeated with five straight knockouts, Payton Talbott was one of the show’s most highly anticipated contestants heading into his Season 7, Week 1 clash with Reyes Cortez Jr., who was 6-2 with five knockouts heading into the fight.
While the Nevada native couldn’t extend his streak of finishes, Talbott put on one of the most impressive striking clinics in the show's history. Talbott landed 145 significant strikes over 15 minutes, setting a record for the most significant strikes landed in a bantamweight bout on Dana White’s Contender Series. That night, Talbott earned a unanimous decision victory, a UFC contract and very high praise from White after the show.
“This kid is an absolute predator,” White said. “He keeps moving forward, he seems unfazed by everything that happens, he plays the mental game; he keeps talking to his opponent… He’s only 24 years old. If this kid can keep his head together, I can’t wait to see him at 27.”
Just over a year into his UFC career, the now 25-year-old has already proven that Dana White made the correct choice in signing him. In the span of seven months, Talbott won three UFC fights, all by finish, and collected two Performance of the Night bonuses.
In his debut against Nick Aguirre, Talbott showed he can do more than just knock people out. Less than a minute into the third round, Talbott stuffed Aguirre’s takedown attempt, took his back and locked in a rear-naked choke that forced a tap.
Four months later, Talbott faced surging prospect Cameron Saaiman. After a thrilling first round where Talbott landed 59 significant strikes, including a knee that connected flush on Saaiman’s chin, he wasted no time in round two. Just six seconds in, Talbott landed a perfectly timed left hook that dropped Saaiman. Talbott jumped on him, maintained top position and landed a flurry of ground-and-pound strikes until the referee stopped the fight.
Somehow, Talbott’s sophomore appearance – a TKO win over a still very promising young prospect in Saaiman – wasn’t his most emphatic performance to date. That came just two months ago, when Talbott returned to the Octagon to face Yanis Ghemmouri at International Fight Week’s premier event, UFC 303: Pereira vs Prochazka 2.
This time, it took just 13 seconds into the first round for Talbott to land a devastating right hand that sent Ghemmouri to the mat. A few follow up shots later and the fight was over. It was Talbott’s quickest fight of his career, proving once again that he is the real deal at 135 pounds.
Watch the Payton Talbott Playlist on UFC FIGHT PASS
“That kid is as legit as they get,” UFC commentator Joe Rogan said after the fight. “He’s so good. Coming off that Cameron Saaiman fight, we were talking about it during the walk in, Cameron Saaiman is legit and [Talbott] ran through Cameron Saaiman, just beat the brakes off him. And now you see a performance like this that really justifies that -1600 favorite. This kid is a real contender right away.”
While Talbott doesn't have a fight scheduled, one thing is clear: you won’t want to miss his next appearance in the Octagon.