Sean O’Malley Expected to “Light Up” Payton Talbott, Jorge Masvidal Says After Talbott’s UFC 332 Statement

Payton Talbott’s name is moving faster in the UFC’s upper bantamweight conversation after a breakthrough performance at UFC 332. In the co-main event, Talbott knocked out former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, a result the sport’s close-following base treated as the most convincing win of Talbott’s career to date, based on the account published by Yahoo Sports.

The win also sparked immediate discussion about what happens if Talbott’s trajectory continues toward the bantamweight spotlight. According to Yahoo Sports, UFC legend Jorge Masvidal expects Sean O’Malley to “light up” Talbott, framing the stylistic matchup as one where O’Malley’s approach could overwhelm Talbott’s offense or pacing in a head-to-head setting.

Masvidal’s comments connect two different storylines within the sport. Talbott’s rise is tied to proving he can operate at championship-level moments, and doing it against an opponent with elite credibility, namely Figueiredo, who has previously held the UFC flyweight title. O’Malley’s relevance, meanwhile, is tied to his own brand of bantamweight entertainment and the expectation from observers that he can impose his rhythm on fights.

The Yahoo Sports report adds that Talbott used his post-fight speech to further set the tone after the Figueiredo result, turning a single win into a broader pitch to the division. That matters in the UFC because matchups are often driven by both performance and demand, and a decisive co-main victory gives a fighter more leverage when the promotion is searching for credible challengers.

Still, any talk of how O’Malley would handle Talbott remains speculative at this stage, because the Yahoo Sports item is primarily a forward-looking assessment by Masvidal rather than an official booking announcement. In the UFC, even high-profile callouts and public comparisons must eventually clear the practical hurdles of rankings, timing, and negotiating priorities.

What is clear is that Talbott’s knockout over Figueiredo has tightened the talent map at the top of the sport. The UFC typically rewards fighters who can both win decisively and produce new fight-market interest, and Talbott’s performance, as described, checked both boxes. For O’Malley, the conversation also reinforces that a rising opponent can be framed as a spotlight moment rather than an easy stepping stone.

Looking ahead, the sport will watch whether Talbott’s win leads to a direct move toward a more formal contender path, such as a higher-profile next opponent or a clearer route within the bantamweight title picture. In parallel, fans will continue to weigh Masvidal’s “light up” framing against the realities of a real matchup, where durability, timing, and adjustments often decide whether style comparisons hold up under pressure.