Sean O’Malley Reacts to Ducking Accusation From Payton Talbott After Impressive UFC 322 Performance

UFC 332 standout performer Payton Talbott called out Sean O'Malley to give the fans what they want.

Sean O’Malley Reacts to Ducking Accusation From Payton Talbott After Impressive UFC 322 Performance

Sean O'Malley reacts to callout from Payton Talbott (Image via UFC X Account/Bloody Elbow)

Rising star Payton Talbott shined at UFC 332 after demolishing Deiveson Figueiredo in less than three minutes. After that, he called out ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley for his next fight. It was a terrific night for Talbott as he continues his rise in the UFC.

The Nevada native has fought 7 times in the UFC, with a 6-1 record in the promotion. Meanwhile, O’Malley has 16 fights in the UFC, going 12-3 with 1 No Contest. Talbott is aiming for the top and issued a callout to O’Malley after winning at UFC 332.

I just mopped the floor with two champions back to back, and I want another one! Andrew Garfi- I mean Sean O’Malley! You can’t run forever. Give the fans what they want.

Payton Talbott via UFC 332 octagon interview

O’Malley and Talbott come from a striking background. On the feet, they can explode into combinations and land knee strikes with their timings. Talbott’s callout makes sense as fans always want to see a striking battle between two exciting fighters in the UFC.

At the same time, ‘Suga‘ is awaiting the result of Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili trilogy bout. Right now as it stands, O’Malley will get the next title shot if Yan wins. However, if Dvalishvili wins, Chinese star Song Yadong gets the title shot as O’Malley has already lost twice to ‘The Machine’.

Yan and Dvalishvili collides at UFC 333 this month in Abu Dhabi. As such, O’Malley will only decide on a new opponent once UFC 333 concludes. Nevertheless, he fired back at Talbott when the rising star accused him of “running.”

4 out of last 7 fights have been against 3 of the greatest bantamweights of all time. Ain’t duckin no one.

Sean O’Malley via Instagram Story

After losing twice to Dvalishvili, ‘Suga’ rebounded with wins over Yadong and Aiemann Zahabi. Meanwhile, Talbott has a three-fight winning streak ever since losing to Raoni Barcelos at UFC 311. This includes win over two former champions like Figueiredo and Henry Cejudo.

For now, Talbott is likely not going to get what he wants. Someone like Cory Sandhagen remains the best top-ranked fighter he can get at the moment. Nevertheless, fans shouldn’t close the door on a potential O’Malley vs Talbott so soon. It is bound to happen in the future.

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Henry Cejudo wants Sean O’Malley vs Payton Talbott to happen next

Earlier in the fight week of UFC 332, Talbott complained about not getting fights to remain active in the UFC. After fighting Cejudo in December of 2025, the promotion didn’t book Talbott until the final quarter of 2026. The rising star confirmed that he had no injuries during this time period.

Henry Cejudo wants to see Sean O'Malley vs Payton Talbott
Henry Cejudo wants to see Sean O’Malley vs Payton Talbott (Image via MMA Fighting/UFC.com)

After UFC 332, the value of Talbott has risen in the promotion. To that end, Cejudo tweeted that he wanted to see O’Malley vs Talbott as it was competitive.

Nobody wants to fight Payton Talbott. He’s been ignored for a year. You have to give him the best competition and they need to stop protecting Sean O’Methly. Talbott vs O’Methly next sign the contract!!

Henry Cejudo via X

Cejudo also pointed out the promotion and other contenders ignoring Talbott and not fighting him until the final quarter of 2026. It remains to be seen if anyone signs up to fight Talbott next as he took no damage at all this past weekend.

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UFC Hall of Famer backs the idea of Payton Talbott fighting Sean O’Malley

A potential Talbott vs O’Malley bout has captured the attention of everyone in the MMA community. A striking battle between two incredible strikers remains a must-see in the UFC.

Sean O'Malley vs Payton Talbott is a strikers battle
Sean O’Malley vs Payton Talbott is a strikers battle (Image via UFC X Account)

UFC Hall of Famer, Chael Sonnen, brought up history lessons to state why the rising star from Nevada deserved to fight a former champion like O’Malley.

History says if you beat a world champion, you get to fight a world champion. I’ll remind you, Talbott has now beaten two.

Chael Sonnen via UFC on Paramount+

Despite UFC legends backing this bout, O’Malley may not pick that fight at the moment. After all, he is looking to win the bantamweight title that he lost two years ago. If Talbott can win one more fight against a top 10 fighter, the UFC may be forced to book the matchup.

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