Payton Talbott’s momentum as a promising prospect faced a setback earlier this year when Raoni Barcelos secured a dominant decision victory over him at UFC 311. Now, Felipe Lima aims to completely halt Talbott’s rise when they face off this Saturday at UFC 317.
Their bantamweight bout opens the main card live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This fight gives the experienced Brazilian fighter, Lima, an opportunity to maintain a perfect 3-0 record within the organization against a highly-publicized opponent.
Sharing his thoughts on his upcoming adversary, Lima told MMA Fighting, “Talbott prefers to strike and apply pressure on his opponents. He struggled on the ground [against Barcelos], but I still consider him a skilled fighter with solid striking. However, I`ve identified several weaknesses in his style. I have a clear idea of his intended strategy. He seems to believe my sole goal is to take him down and control him there, but that is far from the truth. While he’ll attempt to pressure me, I plan to pressure him right back. This is setting up to be an incredibly exciting fight for the fans, and I`m pleased it was moved to the main card.”
Lima made a notable UFC debut in Saudi Arabia by finishing Muhammad Naimov with a choke. He followed this with a decision win against Miles Johns in Tampa, a fight he accepted on short notice despite battling health issues. He is now returning to his natural weight class at bantamweight (135 lbs) to face Talbott, vowing to be even more effective in this division.
“I am significantly faster at 135 pounds,” Lima stated. “This is truly my division. At 145 pounds, I feel heavier and slower; it’s not where I belong. I am happy to be back competing in my rightful weight class and am eagerly anticipating UFC 317.”
Lima, a former Oktagon champion based in Sweden, revealed that his original opponent for UFC 317 was Jonathan Martinez. However, he needed a replacement after Martinez sustained a fractured orbital bone during training. Lima explained that two weeks passed with potential opponents declining the fight before he was matched with Talbott.
“I began to feel quite frustrated because I was fully committed to training, adhering to my diet, and was ready to compete, and I worried that I wouldn`t get the opportunity to fight at UFC 317,” Lima expressed. “I can only speculate why other fighters are unwilling to face me. It might be related to the risk of fighting someone who isn`t currently ranked. I`m not privy to the details of the negotiations, but competing at UFC 317 is an opportunity too good to miss. When the call came, I accepted immediately, without considering who the opponent was. I will never be a fighter who picks and chooses opponents.”
Lima boasts an impressive record, remaining undefeated since his mixed martial arts debut in his native Amazonas back in 2015. He is currently riding a 14-fight winning streak that spans nearly a decade and holds a 50 percent finish rate. Based on his assessment, Lima predicts he will stop Talbott “either in the second round or potentially late in the third.”
“Fighting him represents a significant opportunity because of the substantial hype and considerable following he has garnered,” Lima commented. “He is a recognized opponent to overcome, which will help put my name forward for people within the UFC to recognize, you know? The UFC was already looking at potentially pairing me against ranked fighters because they were encountering difficulties finding a suitable regular opponent, which is precisely why they initially went with Jonathan Martinez. Winning this fight will propel me to a higher level, and I am confident that my next opponent will be ranked within the top 10.”
