Sean O’Malley likes Payton Talbott callout, but denies ducking fight: ‘He made it up’

Sean O'Malley has dismissed Payton Talbott's claim that the two were offered to fight each other at UFC White House in June, insisting the callout is manufactured rather than rooted in fact. Speaking on The SuGuru Show, O'Malley swore on his family that he never received an offer to face Talbott at that event, suggesting the UFC would have contacted him directly as the "A-side" fighter if such a matchup had been proposed.

Talbott's callout came fresh off a dominant knockout victory over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 332, continuing his rapid ascent through the bantamweight rankings. The rising prospect has previously suggested a potential meeting with O'Malley, but O'Malley disputes the narrative that he's been dodging the fight.

Instead of pursuing Talbott immediately, O'Malley is keeping his focus on the upcoming bantamweight title trilogy between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333 on October 24 in Abu Dhabi. O'Malley holds a split decision win over Yan and believes another bout makes sense if Yan retains his belt. However, Dvalishvili has beaten O'Malley twice, making a third meeting unlikely. Should Dvalishvili win the title, O'Malley suggested he would consider facing Talbott.

O'Malley acknowledged Talbott's recent resume—which includes victories over Figueiredo and former flyweight/bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo—but noted both opponents were considerably smaller and older. He praised Talbott's striking ability and demeanor while emphasizing his own preference for testing himself against elite competition like Yan. Ultimately, O'Malley welcomed the callout as valuable promotion, appreciating that Talbott's comments kept his name in headlines and demonstrated fan interest in a potential stylistic matchup.