Payton Talbott Replaces Figueiredo in UFC Rankings After UFC 332 Knockout
Payton Talbott knocked Deiveson Figueiredo out of the cage and out of the UFC rankings after UFC 332.
Payton Talbott has officially taken Deiveson Figueiredo's spot in the UFC bantamweight rankings following his knockout victory at UFC 332 last Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Talbott, who entered the fight at 11-1, ran through the former two-time flyweight champion on the UFC 332 prelims at Delta Center. Figueiredo, 38, has now dropped to 1-4 across his last five bouts since moving up to 135 pounds, with losses to Umar Nurmagomedov, Song Yadong and now Talbott on his recent ledger.
The rankings shakeup did not stop there. Anthony Wint and Johnny Walker also crashed the top 15 in their respective divisions following strong performances on the card. Walker, who made his heavyweight debut against Mick Parkin, earned his spot in the big-man rankings after years competing at light heavyweight.
Talbott immediately called out former bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley after the finish. O'Malley has since responded, denying claims that he ducked the rising prospect. The 135-pound division is now stacked with contenders jockeying for position behind champion Merab Dvalishvili.
Figueiredo's fall from the rankings marks a significant moment for a fighter who once looked untouchable at flyweight. His move to bantamweight has not gone according to plan, and at 38, the road back into the top 15 looks steep.
I've been saying it for months: Payton Talbott is a problem at 135 and he just proved it in the biggest spot of his career. Knocking out a former double champ, even one on the decline, tells you something about the kid's power and composure. He's 12-1 now and he's not even close to his ceiling.
The callout of O'Malley was the right play. That fight sells itself and it makes sense in the rankings. But the bigger picture here is Figueiredo's decline. The man was a destroyer at flyweight and the move to bantamweight has been rough. Five fights at 135, one win. At 38, that is a brutal stretch to try to recover from.
Talbott, Wint and Walker all crashing the rankings on the same card tells you UFC 332 was one of those nights where the next generation kicked the door down. The 135-pound division just got a lot more interesting.
