Talbott calls out O'Malley: 'You can't run forever'

O'Malley leaves door open to matchup

Former champ eyes rematch if Jan retains title

Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley. [Getty Images]
Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley. [Getty Images]

Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley has left the door open to a fight with Peyton Talbott, though his next move may hinge on the outcome of the bantamweight title bout between Petr Jan and Merab Dvalishvili on Oct. 24.

Talbott earned his callout with a statement performance Sunday at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City, stopping former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo by TKO at 2:09 of the first round at the Delta Center.

The win extended Talbott's momentum: last year he defeated former two-division champion Henry Cejudo, making Figueiredo his second consecutive former UFC champion to fall.

Moments after the fight, Talbott publicly called out O'Malley. "I've run through two champions back to back — I want one more," he said. "Sean O'Malley, you can't run forever. Give the people the fight they want."

The two had already been trading barbs. Before UFC 332, Talbott claimed that a fight with O'Malley had been in the works for UFC Freedom 250 in June but that O'Malley had turned it down.

O'Malley rebuffed that account directly. On his YouTube channel, he said he was never offered a fight against Talbott and shrugged off the claim as "complete nonsense." On social media, he added: "Four of my last seven fights have been against three of the greatest bantamweights of all time — I don't avoid anyone."

Still, O'Malley responded positively to the callout itself. He said he likes the challenge Talbott presents and that the two could make for an intriguing stylistic matchup. He added that he had been watching Talbott since his Contender Series days and always figured their paths would cross eventually.

Rising bantamweight contender Peyton Talbott, who called out Sean O'Malley after his win, celebrates with an acrobatic display following his victory over Deiveson Figueiredo on Sunday. [Getty Images]
Rising bantamweight contender Peyton Talbott, who called out Sean O'Malley after his win, celebrates with an acrobatic display following his victory over Deiveson Figueiredo on Sunday. [Getty Images]

The key variable is the bantamweight title fight between Jan and Dvalishvili at UFC 333 on Oct. 24 — a third meeting between the reigning champion and the former titleholder.

O'Malley said he would be willing to fight Talbott if Jan loses to Dvalishvili. If Jan retains the belt, however, O'Malley wants a rematch with the champion. O'Malley defeated Jan by split decision at UFC 280 in 2022.

Calls for an O'Malley-Talbott fight are growing louder. Former two-division UFC champion and commentator Daniel Cormier praised Talbott's size, knockout power and upward trajectory, urging the promotion to make the matchup happen.

Cejudo, who has faced Talbott firsthand, also weighed in. He took to social media to say O'Malley should be next for Talbott — this after losing to Talbott by unanimous decision last year.

Ultimately, the shape of O'Malley's next move will likely come into focus after UFC 333. If Jan holds on to the title, O'Malley can point to his prior victory and push for a rematch. If Dvalishvili reclaims the belt, a fight with Talbott could emerge as O'Malley's next logical step.


yjc@heraldcorp.com