Sean O’Malley has ended days of speculation about a potential fight with Payton Talbott. The former UFC bantamweight champion is setting one clear condition, tied directly to Petr Yan‘s title trilogy against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333 on October 24.
O’Malley Shuts Down the Ducking Claims
Payton Talbott stopped Deiveson Figueiredo in the first round at UFC 332 and immediately called out O’Malley after the win, pushing for an all American bantamweight showdown. Online critics quickly accused O’Malley of avoiding the fight, prompting a direct response from the former champion.
“I swear on my family I did not get offered Payton Talbott at the White House,” O’Malley said, denying that the UFC had ever presented him with the matchup. He argued that the promotion would have approached him first given his standing as the more established name in the bantamweight division.
Talbott remains undefeated as a professional and has strung together a run of highlight finishes since arriving in the UFC. His victory over Figueiredo, a former flyweight champion who moved up to bantamweight, gave him his biggest scalp yet and pushed matchmakers to take his callout seriously. Talbott broke through on Dana White’s Contender Series before joining the UFC roster, and he has built a reputation for finishing fights early against increasingly tested opposition.
Why O’Malley Wants Yan First
O’Malley made his sporting priorities clear. “Why would I fight this tall, lanky, good striker, when I can fight Petr Yan?” he said, pointing to the reigning bantamweight champion as his preferred target over a fight with Talbott. He also credited Talbott for the attention the callout generated. “This is good. I wasn’t on the fight card, a guy comes out, calls me out,” O’Malley added, acknowledging the promotional value even while turning down an immediate booking.
That framing matters for American fans, since it positions O’Malley, Talbott and Yan as the three names currently driving the bantamweight conversation heading into the final months of 2026.
The Condition: A Yan Loss at UFC 333
O’Malley then laid out the scenario that would get him into the cage with Talbott. “If Petr goes out there and loses, let’s squabble, me and Payton, let’s make it happen,” he said. The comment ties any future fight directly to the outcome of Yan’s title defense against Dvalishvili in Abu Dhabi.
If Yan instead retains his belt, O’Malley has made clear he would rather pursue a rematch with the champion than step in with Talbott. That leaves the undefeated contender in a holding pattern, with his next opponent effectively decided by someone else’s fight.
UFC 333: Two Belts on the Line in Abu Dhabi
The Yan-Dvalishvili trilogy will serve as the co-main event of UFC 333, supporting the featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev. Two championships will be decided on the same card, making the October 24 show one of the most consequential dates left on the UFC’s 2026 calendar.
The third meeting between Yan and Dvalishvili is expected to settle their rivalry after two closely contested fights between them. Whoever leaves Abu Dhabi with the belt will be viewed as the division’s undisputed top fighter, which is precisely why O’Malley is waiting on that result before committing to his own next step.
What Comes Next for Talbott
Talbott has not hidden his eagerness to land a fight against a name as recognizable as O’Malley. His stoppage win over Figueiredo has only strengthened his case with UFC matchmakers, and his name now circulates as one of the division’s most credible contenders regardless of who the promotion ultimately lines him up with after UFC 333.
For now, Talbott’s path runs through Abu Dhabi. A Yan loss would hand him the fight he has been chasing since UFC 332. A Yan win would likely push O’Malley toward a rematch instead, leaving Talbott to find another route to a marquee opponent in a stacked bantamweight division.
UFC 333 is set to air on Paramount+ in the United States, giving American fans a direct look at whichever man, O’Malley or Talbott, ultimately gets the next shot in the division.
The full UFC bantamweight rankings and the complete 2026 UFC schedule are available on mma-official.com ahead of UFC 333.
