Bantamweight prospect Payton Talbott`s momentum took a hit earlier this year with a decision loss to Raoni Barcelos at UFC 311. Now, Felipe Lima aims to completely halt his rise when they meet this Saturday at UFC 317.
The fight is set to open the main card at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This provides Lima, a seasoned Brazilian fighter, another chance to build his UFC record against a highly-rated emerging talent.
“Talbott enjoys striking and putting pressure on his opponents,” Lima commented. “He struggled on the ground against Barcelos, but I believe he`s a skilled striker. However, I see many deficiencies in his style. I anticipate his strategy. He seems to think my only goal is to take him down and control him, but that`s incorrect. He`ll likely try to pressure me, but I`ll meet that pressure head-on. It promises to be an exciting fight for the audience, and I`m pleased it was moved to the main card.”
Lima secured a submission victory over Muhammad Naimov in his UFC debut and followed that with a decision win against Miles Johns, a fight he accepted on short notice while dealing with health issues. He is now returning to his natural weight class at bantamweight and is confident he will be even more effective.
“I`m significantly faster at 135 pounds,” Lima stated. “This is my division. I feel heavier and slower at 145 pounds; that`s not where I belong. I`m happy to be back in my weight class and eagerly awaiting UFC 317.”
Lima, a former Oktagon champion who trains in Sweden, revealed his original opponent for UFC 317 was Jonathan Martinez. However, Martinez sustained an orbital bone fracture during training, leaving Lima without a fight. After two weeks passed with no opponent accepting the bout, Lima was paired with Talbott.
“I was becoming frustrated because I was consistently training, dieting, and prepared to compete, and I worried I might miss fighting at UFC 317,” Lima explained. “I`m unsure why others are hesitant to fight me. Perhaps it`s the perceived risk of facing an unranked fighter. I don`t know the specifics of the negotiations, but accepting a fight at UFC 317 is an opportunity that shouldn`t be missed. When they called, I immediately said yes, regardless of who the opponent was. I never pick my fights.”
Lima boasts an impressive 14-fight winning streak dating back to 2015, following his only career loss in his professional debut. He has a 50 percent finish rate and predicts he will stop Talbott “in the second round, or possibly late in the third.”
“Fighting him is a fantastic opportunity because he has considerable hype and a large following,” Lima noted. “He`s a notable name to defeat, which will help me get recognized within the UFC. The organization was already looking to match me against ranked competitors due to the difficulty in finding standard opponents, which is why they initially considered Jonathan Martinez. Winning this fight will elevate me to the next level, and I`m confident it will lead to a fight against a top 10 opponent next.”
