Payton Talbot bouncing off in a big way with a dynamic impression and grappling performance, beating Felipe Lima on Saturday to kick off the UFC 317 main card.
Showing out a ferocious combination of feet, from counterwrestling to ground and pounds, Talbot has shown off a massive improvement after suffering the initial loss of his career. When it was there, there was no doubt that Talbot did enough to win with the judges after three rounds, winning 29-28 in his favor.
“It felt good,” Talbot said after nodding. “Now I feel like I have the full scope of things as I’m back from loss. I learn while I’m fighting. I still learn every time I enter the cage. That’s what I enjoy here.”
Talbot was leading the charges as he advanced to begin the fight, but Lima broke him with some stab wounds that caught his attention. Lima then took a foot and went for a takedown, but Talbot did a great job and actually reversed the position as the fighter hit the canvas.
Above, Talbot lowered his stiff elbow, but Lima quickly scrambled back to his feet to escape. Another grappling exchange did not bring real success to either fighter as Talbot and Lima continued to fight for positions.
As the second round begins, Lima tagged Talbot with a nasty combination, but he decides to turn his attention to grappling again. Talbot immediately slams him with a big punch from above, but eventually decides to get up again.
Talbot continues to put pressure on Lima, where he jumps out of him with another straight punch, and the Brazilian head comes back violently. Following another takedown inversion, Talbot blasted Lima with a momentum-heavy elbow, and the momentum continued to move into his favor.
With five minutes left, Lima’s coach emphasized his trust in his impression and fired quickly. Lima was mixing things up nicely, but he again turned to his grappling to plant the talbots on the ground.
Unfortunately, Lima’s struggle on the ground quickly followed Talbot’s rise again, and soon launched a quick spinning heel kick that nearly landed cleanly. When time was ticked, Talbot delivered more ground and pounds, really showing how much he’d learned in a relatively short time since his last appearance in the Octagon.
As far as it comes next, Talbot had his name in mind for his future opponents.
“I’ve been asking for Adrian Janez for a minute,” Talbot said. “Let’s do it.”