TLDR
- Henry Cejudo mentored Payton Talbott months before being booked to fight him at UFC 323
- Cejudo gave Talbott career advice about camp structure, mental preparation, and financial security
- The mentorship happened before Cejudo’s fight with Merab Dvalishvili when retirement seemed certain
- Cejudo is on a three-fight losing streak and says UFC 323 will be his final appearance
- Talbott sees the fight as an honor and a chance to test himself against a former two-division champion
Payton Talbott will face his former mentor Henry Cejudo at UFC 323 this Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The bantamweight bout carries an unusual backstory that makes it one of the more interesting matchups on the card.
Cejudo served as a mentor to Talbott months before they were scheduled to fight each other. The two spent several days together when Cejudo was preparing for his bout with Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298. At that time, Cejudo planned to retire after the Dvalishvili fight, so a future matchup between them seemed impossible.
During their time together, Cejudo shared advice that Talbott says changed his approach to his career. The former two-division champion talked about structuring training camps to mirror actual competition conditions. He discussed the mental and physical demands fighters face.
Cejudo was particularly emphatic about financial security outside of fighting. Talbott recalled that Cejudo built his entire life around long-term financial stability. The Olympic gold medalist warned Talbott about the importance of protecting himself financially because people would try to take advantage of him.
“It takes somebody telling you that and seeing it to really know,” Talbott said in an interview with MMA Fighting. The 27-year-old prospect acknowledged that Cejudo was trying to help him and the advice proved valuable.
The Path to UFC 323
Talbott entered the UFC as a highly-touted prospect from Dana White’s Contender Series. He finished his first three UFC opponents before suffering his first career loss to Raoni Barcelos at UFC 322 in January. He bounced back with a decision victory over Felipe Lima at UFC 317 in June.
The matchup with Cejudo came together after several ranked opponents turned down fights with Talbott. Despite the unusual circumstances of fighting his former mentor, Talbott jumped at the opportunity. He views it as a chance to test himself against one of the sport’s most decorated fighters.
Cejudo won UFC titles at both flyweight and bantamweight during his career. His last victory came against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in May 2020. He ended his first retirement three years later but has since lost decisions to Aljamain Sterling, Merab Dvalishvili, and Song Yadong.
Fight Week Expectations
Talbott says he’s prepared for anything Cejudo might do during fight week. Cejudo is known for his antics and trash talk leading up to fights. However, Talbott believes their familiarity with each other means he won’t be easily surprised.
“We’re pretty familiar, so it would take a lot to really surprise me,” Talbott told MMA Fighting. He added that he remains calm heading into the bout but is curious to see how fight week unfolds.
Talbott views being Cejudo’s final opponent as an honor. He expects Cejudo to show up differently than in his recent fights because of the retirement stakes. The young prospect wants to see what he’s capable of against a fighter of Cejudo’s caliber.
Cejudo has announced that UFC 323 will be his final appearance in the octagon. He’s looking to end his combat sports career with one last memorable performance. The former champion is currently on a three-fight losing streak, the longest of his career.
A victory for Talbott would likely move him into the bantamweight top 10 rankings. For Cejudo, a win would provide a proper ending to his decorated career that includes an Olympic gold medal and two UFC championships.
