Sean O’Malley Responds to UFC Rival Following Brutal First-Round TKO

Sean O’Malley didn’t take long to respond after Payton Talbott called him out following an impressive performance at UFC 332.

Talbott picked up another statement victory on the UFC 332 undercard, defeating former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo by first-round TKO. Talbott hurt Figueiredo with a right hand before pouring on the pressure, with referee Jason Herzog stopping the fight at 2:09 of the opening round.

Payton Talbott Calls Out Sean O’Malley

The victory gave Talbott consecutive wins over former UFC champions after previously defeating Henry Cejudo by unanimous decision. During his UFC 332 post-fight interview, Talbott wasted little time identifying the former bantamweight champion he wants next.

“I just mopped the floor with two champions back-to-back, and I want another one,” Talbott said. “Andrew Garfield, I mean, Sean O’Malley, you can’t run forever. Give the people what they want.”

Talbott’s message was clear: He wants to continue climbing the bantamweight division by adding another former champion to his resume.

Sean O’Malley Brings the Receipts

O’Malley responded Sunday on his Instagram Story, where he posted a screenshot highlighting his recent strength of schedule while pushing back against the idea that he is avoiding Talbott.

“4 out of last 7 fights have been against 3 of the greatest bantamweights of all time. Ain’t duckin no one,” O’Malley wrote.

O’Malley certainly has the resume to support his response. His recent run includes fights against former champions Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling, along with two meetings against Merab Dvalishvili.

Whether O’Malley vs. Talbott is next remains to be seen, but Talbott has now beaten consecutive former UFC champions and made it clear he wants to add O’Malley’s name to that list. O’Malley, meanwhile, appears more than willing to remind critics of the competition he has already faced.

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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Oct 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the MMA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.