UFC commentator Daniel Cormier is stumping for a bantamweight fight between top contenders Sean O’Malley and Payton Talbott.
Talbott said during UFC 332 fight week that he was previously offered to fight O’Malley at UFC Freedom 250, but the fight did not materialize for whatever reason.
After he stopped Deiveson Figueiredo in the UFC 332 co-main event via first-round TKO, Talbott once again made it clear that he wants O’Malley next, and Cormier likes the sound of it.
Daniel Cormier Wants Sean O’Malley vs. Daniel Cormier
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Cormier made it clear that he wants to see O’Malley fight Talbott next.
“Payton Talbott will tell you that he accepted that fight. I don’t have enough knowledge to say that Sean said no, but that is what Payton will have you believe by his answers. I think that we revisit that fight. Sean O’Malley, after winning at the White House, it felt like he could potentially be up for a title fight,” Cormier said (via MMAjunkie.com).
“We now know that Merab (Dvalishvili) is fighting Petr Yan. Sean doesn’t have anything. I think Sean should say, ‘OK, Payton Talbott, I recognize you because I was you. Let’s see if you’re ready to make it into the top of the division.’ I think it’ll be great for Talbott to get that opportunity.”
Daniel Cormier Praises Payton Talbott
As for his performance against Figueiredo, Cormier said he was incredibly impressed that the bantamweight prospect could go in there and take care of business against a tough veteran like the Brazilian former UFC flyweight champion so quickly.
“Payton Talbott is a real problem for everybody in the UFC bantamweight division. He is huge, he’s confident, he can knock you out. We saw him out-wrestle Henry Cejudo. He’s only 28 years old, and every time he comes to the octagon, he’s better. That’s what you want to see. Jon Anik said he feels like Payton Talbott is a future UFC world champion. I can’t say that I don’t agree with him after watching what he did to Deiveson Figueiredo tonight. Deiveson Figueiredo twice became a UFC world champion. Payton Talbott wiped him out. It was not competitive,” Cormier said.
“It was not competitive for 20 seconds of that fight. It was a man facing a person that did not deserve to be in the octagon with him. That’s how he made that look. Payton Talbott looked amazing, though. I just believe that when you get these young fighters that display all that potential and display all that ability and can be exciting, can be intriguing enough that people wonder we don’t only care about what Payton Talbott does inside the octagon. Payton Talbott’s one of those people that you want to tap into what he’s doing outside of the octagon, and that is very valuable.”
Will the UFC book this fight? It remains to be seen what the promotion’s plans are, but it definitely seems like there is a good chance that this firefight fight gets booked next.
Daniel Cormier Stumps for Sean O’Malley vs. Payton Talbott