Payton Talbott has made no secret of the fact that MMA was not always part of the plan, but the bantamweight contender now finds himself in a major spot at UFC 332. After taking down Henry Cejudo in his most recent fight, Talbott goes into Saturday’s co-main event against Deiveson Figueiredo with momentum, attention and a chance to keep climbing.
That is exactly the kind of platform he appears to have welcomed. Talbott spoke to the Deseret News in September about his career and the fight ahead, and he framed the sport as something that grew into a serious calling rather than a childhood obsession.
How Talbott found MMA
Talbott’s route into the sport was not conventional. He was a psychology major at the University of Nevada, Reno when he first became interested in MMA, and he said he had only seen highlights on TV before deciding to try it for himself.
“I didn’t even know that MMA was a thing,” Talbott said. “I went to the closest gym to me, took a drop-in class and got humbled super quick.”
He also said he enjoyed being a beginner because it gave him something to chase. Talbott called it a chance to discover “maybe this can be my new ‘grown up sport.’”
That mindset matters now because UFC 332 is not a trial run. It is the fourth numbered UFC event in Utah, and it arrives after UFC 307 drew a sold-out crowd at the Delta Center in 2024. Talbott is being placed in one of the most visible bouts on the card, and that says plenty about where he stands in the division.
Why this fight matters now
For Talbott, the fight with Deiveson Figueiredo is about more than just another win. It is about proving that his rise is real against a name with far greater experience and a much bigger reputation in the sport.
His comments about getting into MMA also point to the perspective he brings into the cage. He said he liked the early frustration because it showed him there was “a lot of room for improvement,” and added that the lesson was not only about competition but about learning “to do a better job of being able to defend myself.”
That kind of grounded view has helped make his story more compelling to fans. It is not just a tale of talent, but of a fighter who found the sport later, embraced the learning curve and turned it into a professional path.
What UFC 332 brings to Salt Lake City
UFC 332 will give local fans a full fight-week build-up at the Delta Center. On the Thursday before Saturday’s fights, there will be a press conference, ceremonial weigh-ins and a fan experience outside the arena, setting the tone for a major weekend in Salt Lake City.
On Saturday, the card begins with early prelims at 2 p.m. and prelims at 4 p.m., before the main card streams live on Paramount+ and CBS. For Talbott, the stage is clear: beat Deiveson Figueiredo and he strengthens both his position and his profile at a high-visibility moment.
He has already shown he can handle pressure, and his win over Henry Cejudo underlined that. The next test is whether he can turn that momentum into a defining performance when the lights are brightest.
