Henry Cejudo has thrown a very clear spotlight on tonight’s meeting with Deiveson Figueiredo, and he is not trying to dress it up as some even-money coin flip. His view is simple: Payton Talbott is the favorite. And if Talbott handles business, Cejudo believes the conversation around him changes fast.
That is the real edge here. Figueiredo is a former flyweight king, a man with a proper championship pedigree, but Cejudo thinks Talbott brings the sharper hands, the longer frame and the cleaner distance recognition. In other words, this is not being framed as a test of whether Talbott belongs. It is being framed as a chance for him to take the next step and make people treat him like a serious problem.
Why Cejudo likes Talbott’s chances
Cejudo’s breakdown is blunt and, frankly, pretty revealing. He thinks Figueiredo will need to mix his attacks properly, using kicks and wrestling to drag the fight into rougher territory. But his main point is that Talbott should keep the bout where he is most dangerous: on his feet. Cejudo pointed to Talbott’s length, his ability to work both hands, and his sharper boxing as the factors that tilt the matchup his way.
That matters because Cejudo is not speaking in vague praise. He has seen Talbott up close, and he has already watched him put together several notable UFC wins, including a strong outing against him. So when he says he wants to see how much better Talbott has become since their fight, that carries some weight. This is not just hype. It is a former rival saying the youngster has real upward momentum.
A win that could change the conversation
The bigger point is the ranking ceiling. Cejudo said that if Talbott improves in the specific areas he mentioned — fighting backwards, using feints more often, and adding more lateral movement — then he can be a top five fighter in the world. That is a serious statement, and it tells you exactly how this matchup is being viewed: not as a random booking, but as a possible launch point.
And Cejudo did not stop there. He also said Talbott should move on to Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera with a victory over Figueiredo, after Sean O’Methley denied that fight. He went even further by saying, “Give him Cory Sandhagen,” which is a pretty loud way of saying Talbott is no longer in the phase where careful matchmaking should hold him back.
That is what makes this one interesting. If Talbott beats a name like Deiveson Figueiredo, the win is not just useful — it becomes the kind of result that forces a rethink. Cejudo has already done the heavy lifting for the narrative: Talbott is the favorite, and if he backs it up, top five is not some wild dream. It is the standard he should be chasing next.
