Israel Adesanya Raves About UFC 311 Prospect Payton Talbott: ‘I Like That Kid’

Not long before becoming the UFC middleweight champion, Adesanya was an undefeated fighter on the prelims, as is Talbott this weekend at UFC 311. Power in both hands and the fight IQ to back it up, Talbott is a perfect 3-0 in UFC with a 100% completion rate.

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Talbott could see his stock rise even higher with a win over bantamweight Raoni Barcelos. Heading into Saturday, all eyes are on the 26-year-old, including Adesanya’s.

“Yo Payton! I like that kid,” Adesanya said of Talbott on his YouTube channel. “Have you seen him fight? He’s cool, he’s got the big black tattoo on his chest and back. He’s a good fighter.”

Still to be tested against elite-level competition, Talbott is one of the most versatile forwards we’ve seen come from Dana White’s Contender seriesthat shows up in every performance.

Talbott is also a very different fighter than we are used to seeing outside the cage, eerily similar to Israel Adesanya when it comes to fashion sense and his creative side.

“The Last Stylebender” Adesanya was on the UFC scene years before Talbott ever arrived, taking the promotion by storm with epic knockouts, post-fight celebrations and an unapologetic personality that has resonated with so many fans around the world.

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