Payton Talbott has always been sporty, playing football and wrestling competitively in high school. He got into mixed martial arts after high school when he was inspired by watching Conor McGregor's highlights on Youtube. “I used to think of MMA as a barbaric sport and a macho man sport I could never relate to, but when I saw McGregor and just how poetic he made his finishes look, I could relate to that,” says Talbott.
When he was 18, Talbott vividly remembers his first time at the Reno Academy of Combat. He felt all of his worries and stress melt away even though he was taking a pummeling. It made him fall in love with the sport, he says, because it was humbling.
Now Talbott is 24 and for him, it has always been important to find the right balance of femininity and masculinity. That’s why he’s even tried pole sport to strengthen his core and have an overall intense workout.
“It’s another way to articulate your body in an appealing way and fighting is a version of that because you’re fighting to perform for others,” Talbott says. He has a deep respect for his female training partners. Talbott even recalls a time his nose was broken by one of his female training partners. “When you tap gloves in the training room and are lining up against them to go, they can feel if you’re holding back because of some kind of gender barrier in your head. In the fighting community we’re all just equal,” says Talbott.
Currently, Talbott is undefeated. In all his competitions, he has a record of 10-0-0. His pro MMA record is a sparkling 5-0-0 with all fights decided before the closing bell.
In the beginning, it was difficult for Talbott to fight because, he remembers, he would go in with a lot of adrenaline and not incorporate his personality. Now that he's comfortable in the cage, Talbott says he can enjoy himself. “When I’m having fun … is when I shine and do better and you’ll get the best version of me,” says Talbott.
Talbott attempts to escape the crucifix position his training partner has him trapped in.
Next month in August Talbott, listed at 5’10” is gearing up for the Dana White contender series.
He is scheduled to fight August 8th in the Bantamweight division against Junior Cortez, a shorter fighter at 5’7’ from Arizona who has a record of 7-2. Cortez lost in a 2021 Contender Series matchup and is giving it another go.
If Talbott wins it is a possibility that he could earn a UFC (the Las Vegas-based Ultimate Fighting Championship major league MMA) contract and set up his career to start earning money. However for that to happen, there are a couple of different factors that are considered. A fighter needs to look interesting, the people have to like your personality, and a fighter has to win in a decisive manner. “It feels like a big job interview but I feel like I have a good resume and I’m set up for success,” Talbott says.
However, Talbott is also staying grounded and has other things to look forward to outside of MMA. This isn’t his end goal as he says he has a ton of other “backup plans” and aspirations, if the UFC doesn’t come calling.
“A lot of people give their lives to this sport and when they have to exit it because they’re aging, it’s really hard for them to indoctrinate themselves back into society,” Talbott says.
Regardless, he says, back when he was 18 he never would have imagined that he’d come this far.
“I definitely didn’t think that in six years I would be fighting in front of Dana White (the UFC president whose net worth is $500 million) but I always knew I had a strong gift and a different mindset than a lot of people. I figured that at some point I could share that with the world in some form in some medium. I didn’t expect it to be fighting,” says Talbott.