Anyways, here\u2019s what we did answer!<\/p>\n
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – OCTOBER 03: Payton Talbott reacts after a TKO victory against Deiveson Figueiredo of Brazil in a bantamweight fight during the UFC 332 event at Delta Center on October 03, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n Payton Talbott the real deal?<\/p>\n Question: Is Payton Talbott really all that or is he just beating up washed old men? (or TBF do we really not know yet?) (LoneCowboy)<\/p>\n Alex Behunin: I have doubted Talbott for most of his UFC run \u2013 I thought Saaiman, Lima, and Cejudo were going to derail him, but he sure proved me wrong. I\u2019m done doubting him. Sure, he beat Cejudo and Figgy way past their prime, but it\u2019s the way he whooped them that is impressive.<\/p>\n Will he be champion? Idk, but he\u2019s getting better and better.<\/p>\n Thomas Myers: I am all aboard the Talbott Express \u2013 he\u2019s always so composed, even when put in dangerous positions. I absolutely love the Sean O\u2019Malley match up, but I think Talbott should maybe get one more fight in before that happens \u2013 his recent inactivity has really worked against him in 2026. I\u2019d love for him to take Raul Rosas\u2019 No. 8 seed (and I believe he would, easily) before we head into 2027. Rosas would also help Talbott lower his average opponent age, too.<\/p>\n Ryan Harkness: If Payton Talbott had fought three times this year like he fought three times in 2025, we\u2019d know the answer to this. Is it the UFC\u2019s fault he\u2019s only fought once this year, against the corpse of former great Deiveson Figueiredo? Or the fault of other on-the-up fighters refusing to fight him? This is one of those questions where there\u2019s no way to know the answer until he competes more. Alas, he\u2019s now in that zone where every fight could lead to a title shot if it\u2019s the right match-up. That\u2019s never a recipe for more activity.<\/p>\n Tim Edwards: I was really impressed with Talbott. Figueiredo is way past his best, but he\u2019s still a tough guy and this is the first time he\u2019s been legitimately stopped. His two prior TKO losses were an eye injury and a knee injury. Talbott being able to hit and rattle Figueiredo showed a lot of speed, power and technique. And I think that\u2019s going to translate to fights with bigger names in the division. I\u2019m not sure if he will ever challenge for a title, though. That\u2019s just because of how deep Bantamweight feels at the moment. But I\u2019d love to see him move up the ladder and start fighting guys like O\u2019Malley, Song and Sandhagen.<\/p>\n SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – OCTOBER 01: (L-R) Opponents Natalia Silva of Brazil and Wang Cong of China face off during the UFC 332 press conference at Salt Palace Convention Center on October 01, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC) Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n Was Silva vs. Wang that bad?<\/p>\n Q: People dumped on Silva v Cong both during and after the fight. Although I don\u2019t think it lived up to its potential, I also don\u2019t think it was that bad. Had Cong stepped on the gas a round earlier, it actually could have been pretty good. So, was it as bad as some would have us believe, or did it just suffer from being on a card with a record number of KOs? (RookieWannaBe)<\/p>\n Alex Behunin: While the fight wasn\u2019t unwatchable, it was completely forgettable \u2013 it didn\u2019t help that it was on a numbered card. Ryan Harkness: Point fighting is exactly what it is. There was no danger or urgency on display in that fight, and more generally across all women\u2019s divisions in the UFC right now. Remember what a sadist Joanna Jedrzejczyk was in the cage? How Amanda Nunes went for the kill when she smelled blood? This modern WMMA crop feel more like athletes than fighters. No one\u2019s out to hurt each other, everyone is carefully cruising to wins rather than pushing for a finish.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t a gendered issue, per se. There\u2019s plenty of men\u2019s fights where once you\u2019ve seen the first round, you know how the rest of the fight will go. But it\u2019s certainly a more pronounced issue right now with the current crop of women fighting in the UFC.<\/p>\n Thomas Myers: It was a glorified sparring session at the end of the day. I think UFC matchmakers were hoping for some sort of striking showcase when it decided to tap Cong \u2013 who has a kickboxing win over Valentina Shevchenko way back when \u2013 instead of a more deserving contender. UFC never even really leveraged the Shevchenko angle or promoted the fight in any way, shape or form \u2013 Dana White was totally unprepared to make this even sound remotely interesting. I think it was maybe a good idea in the \u201cwar room,\u201d but UFC, White, Silva and Cong all failed to live up to their ends of the bargain. Lazy!<\/p>\n Tim Edwards: I thought the fight was fine. I do think Wang\u2019s late flourish did help move it from a bad fight to an OK fight, though. If she let Silva continue to just peck away at her over those last two rounds, then I think there would be a lot more reason to call it a stinker. We\u2019ve seen worse fights than this, though, recently \u2014 and not just from the ladies. Remember Ankalaev vs. Guskov? Walker vs. Reyes? These things happen. I do think this fight suffered from how bonkers the card was leading up to it, but when viewed in a vacuum\u2026 Silva vs. Wang was alright. I\u2019m not calling a rematch anytime soon, though.<\/p>\n WINNIPEG, MANITOBA – APRIL 18: Referee Jason Herzog deducts a point from John Castaneda after a low blow against Mark Vologdin of Russia in a 139-pound catchweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Canada Life Centre on April 18, 2026 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (Photo by Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n What\u2019s the point (deduction)?<\/p>\n Q: Why have point deductions for fouls generally become a thing of the past? (MixedMartialAids)<\/p>\n Andrew Richardson: It\u2019s always been this way? I\u2019d argue fans are just more aware of it now. Remember when Frank Trigg almost won UFC gold by kneeing Matt Hughes in the nuts? No warning, no points, no change two decades later.<\/p>\n Thomas Myers: Were they ever a thing? Fouling in UFC is so common, along with fighters not being penalized for it. I\u2019ve said it a million times: If I were a fighter, I would be Jon Jones (or, Cyril Gane in 2026). Eye pokes, low blows, fence grabs, hands in gloves \u2013 I\u2019d go until they finally took a point. Because you can get pretty far being dirty inside the Octagon without getting any points deducted. The lack of consistency drives me absolutely bonkers.<\/p>\n Alex Behunin: It sure feels like it is getting worse. From what I know, the referees have made it very clear they just don\u2019t want to take points because they don\u2019t want to alter fights \u2026 which is so stupid.<\/p>\n I think refs should take points for the first foul no matter what \u2013 eye poke, nut shot, fence grab, etc.<\/p>\n Jesse Holland: Referees are like MMA journalists. They wanna stay on the good side of UFC to keep their spot on the roster. Sounds like a conspiracy theory, right? Who do you think hires the referees for all those fight cards that take place in territories without an athletic commission? Speaking of referees, I keep wanting them to bring back the yellow card from PRIDE but we know that ain\u2019t gonna happen.<\/p>\n Ryan Harkness: I don\u2019t know if fouls were ever really getting called, but everyone knows in their bones now that you get two to three free fouls per fight before a point deduction is gonna happen. So why not use them? There\u2019s no incentive not to stick your fingers out into the eyes of your opponent. Throw that wild kick towards the groin. Throw that iffy punch to the back of the head. As Tito Ortiz said, if you ain\u2019t cheating you ain\u2019t trying.<\/p>\n Tim Edwards: I wish I knew the real answer to this. And I wish the referees would consider their instruction in the fighters\u2019 meeting as their first and only warning for eye pokes, low blows, illegal strikes and fence grabs. We\u2019ve seen lots of fights drastically altered due to those fouls this year. I\u2019m pretty sure that if fighters went down a point on the first offense, we\u2019d see a whole lot less of them.<\/p>\n SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – OCTOBER 03: Damian Pinas of Suriname reacts after a knockout victory against Andrey Pulyaev of Russia in a middleweight fight during the UFC 332 event at Delta Center on October 03, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Cooper Neill\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n Q: That was a nasty finish from Pinas, left him stiff. Is he the real deal, or just the next hype job waiting to be derailed? (Jack Reacharound)<\/p>\n Alex Behunin: Ultimately, time will tell, but the fact that he nuked Pulyaev and Almeida gives me a lot of hope that he\u2019s the real deal. I feel like he\u2019s going to get a step up in his next outing.<\/p>\n Ryan Harkness: Pinas is just 24 but already looking like an inevitable top ten guy at middleweight. It\u2019s way too early to say if he\u2019s \u2018the real deal,\u2019 though. Let\u2019s ask again in two years when he\u2019s gone through the UFC wringer, dealt with an injury or two, maybe had to fight with said injuries, maybe spent nine months waiting for a fight because he\u2019s not the shiny new toy on the matchmakers\u2019 shelf. But I like what I see. The dude is pure violence.<\/p>\n Thomas Myers: Real deal! Effortless, clean, smart and just an overall specimen. Super excited to see what he can do moving forward. Yes, I would also like to see him face some adversity, but that will come in time as he inches closer to a Top 10 ranking. Give him one more fight between now and the end of the year \u2013 perhaps against someone like Edmen Shahbazyan (No. 15) \u2013 and if he passes that test, which I believe he will, I would love to see him fight the winner of Pyfer vs. Nickal in early 2027.<\/p>\n Tim Edwards: He certainly looks like the real deal to me. Everyone here has seen hundreds of fighters come and go and thousands of fights. And Pinas\u2019 precision really stands out as special. He just has an effortless timing to his striking, which reminds me of peak Conor McGregor. It\u2019s like he sees his opponent moving in slow motion and can just land his hand on the perfect undefended spot. It\u2019s frightening. I guess the next move for him is to fight Roman Kopylov.<\/p>\n SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – OCTOBER 03: Ismail Naurdiev of Russia punches Marvin Vettori of Italy in a middleweight fight during the UFC 332 event at Delta Center on October 03, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n What\u2019s next for Vettori?<\/p>\n Q: Marvin Vettori. What do you do with him? I mean he gets beat, but never finished and he\u2019s always in it. What\u2019s wrong with his game? It\u2019s like you can\u2019t really beat him, but there\u2019s no clear path to victory for him besides the opponent breaking their hand on his head. (LoneCowboy)<\/p>\n Alex Behunin: It\u2019s time to ship him to PFL. A couple of years ago, he would have beaten Ismail Naurdiev pretty easily. Thomas Myers: Definitely no longer a serious threat to any UFC title holder at 185 or 205 pounds. I would imagine he is expensive, too, based on his early success inside the Octagon. I think Dana White and Co. should cut him loose and let\u2019s see what he can do for an organization like KSW.<\/p>\n Ryan Harkness: Cut him loose, let him fight back in Europe, and maybe the next big Italian dream will arrive off a notable win over the former contender.<\/p>\n Tim Edwards: Right now, losing streaks in UFC seem way less likely to get you bounced than at any other time in this sport. I think that might be because the UFC are trying to play keep-away with as much of their talent as possible. I imagine the UFC will want to just keep him on the books, whether he fights or not. The big question will be whether Vettori is satisfied with being trotted out on the prelims against opponents looking to leapfrog him. If he wants out, then he might get his wish. If that happens, he feels like exactly what PFL like to stack their roster with.<\/p>\n BELGRADE, SERBIA – JULY 31: Alex Pereira interacts with fans during a Q&A session prior to the UFC Fight Night ceremonial weigh-in at Belgrade Arena on July 31, 2026 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Ed Mulholland\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n Q: What changes between the Ciryl Gane fight, and this recently announced fight with Sergei Pavlovich, does Alex Pereira need to do in order to get the W? And what happens to Pereira should he lose this fight? (Igl00Man)<\/p>\n Alex Behunin: If Pereira loses, he should retire. He\u2019s already an all-time great and hall of famer with nothing to prove. As for the fight, I\u2019m not really sure about his path to victory other than hit and not get hit lol. Ryan Harkness: There\u2019s a reason weight classes exist, and it\u2019s because you can do everything right and make all the changes and prepare in all the ways and still just get KTFO by someone much worse but much bigger than you. Pereira already did something amazing by capturing the middleweight and light heavyweight titles. If he captures the heavyweight belt it\u2019ll be insane, because Ciryl Gane already showed \u201cPoatan\u201d is not a real heavyweight. A loss would be horrible in the moment, but a return to light heavyweight where he\u2019s still better than 98% of the crop would erase any sour memories. Wrap it up with a finale against Jon Jones, and it\u2019s *chef\u2019s kiss*<\/p>\n Tim Edwards: I hate this fight for Pereira. Gane was bigger and faster than Pereira and that\u2019s what caused him so much problems. I think he\u2019s getting the same situation with Pavlovich. Pereira can\u2019t get any bigger (bigger, not fatter) and he\u2019s not getting any quicker. I don\u2019t see a way for him to compete in this bout, let alone win it. When he loses this one, he has to be done with heavyweight. If he keeps fighting, I\u2019d like to see him go down to light heavyweight again. But in that division, too, there doesn\u2019t seem like any fights that are actually worth his while \u2014 unless you let him fight Ulberg if Ulberg is able to unify the titles when he comes back.<\/p>\n LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 16: (L-R) Chuck Liddell punches Randy Couture at UFC 52 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 16, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges\/Zuffa LLC\/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images<\/p>\n Q: What kind of matchups would you throw out if you could match up the current champs with any of their division\u2019s previous champs? (cavemanoncomputer)<\/p>\n Alexander Volkanokvski vs. prime Conor McGregorPetr Yan vs. T.J DillashawJustin Gaethje vs. BJ PennIslam vs. GSPUlberg vs. Liddell?<\/p>\n Anton Tabuena: If we\u2019re going with fantasy matches, I\u2019d like to see how Islam vs. Khabib would\u2019ve gone down. I guess they could just release old training footage, but it\u2019d be fun to see how their prime versions would do against each other on the ground in an actual fight.<\/p>\n Joshua Van vs. Demetrious JohnsonPetr Yan vs. the Renan Barao who fought Urijah FaberAlexander Volkanovski vs. BJ Penn at lightweightWhite House Justin Gaethje vs. Islam MakhachevIslam Makhachev vs. Georges St-PierreSean Strickland vs. Michael Bisping (imagine the build-up for that one)Carlos Ulberg vs. Alex PereiraCiryl Gane vs. Tom Aspinall (Tommy needs revenge!)<\/p>\n Nice thing about the women\u2019s divisions are that my answers are all probably happening.<\/p>\n![\"SALT](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/gettyimages-2298461453.jpg\"\/)
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Also, I hate watching Natalia Silva point fight so yeah.<\/p>\n![\"WINNIPEG,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/gettyimages-2271962588.jpg\"\/)
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His confidence is shot, he\u2019s slow, and his chin is going to crack at some point.
I\u2019m sure Andrew has a better idea of what\u2019s wrong.<\/p>\n![\"BELGRADE,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/gettyimages-2288456631.jpg\"\/)
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I just don\u2019t think his power is going to transfer to Heavyweight but I guess we\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n![\"LAS](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/gettyimages-107612296.jpg\"\/)
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