Sean O’Malley Says He Was Never Offered Payton Talbott Fight at UFC White House

Sean O’Malley has denied claims that the UFC offered him a fight against Payton Talbott for UFC Freedom 250 at the White House, insisting that he never turned down the rising bantamweight.

The hype began after Talbott's impressive victory over former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 332. Following his first-round stoppage, Talbott called for a matchup with O’Malley and again discussed the possibility that the two were previously linked for the UFC's historic White House event in June. 

Sean O'Malley Denies Talbott Fight

O’Malley, however, strongly disputes that version of events. Speaking about the situation on his YouTube show, the former UFC bantamweight champion said he was never formally offered Talbott as an opponent.

“I did not get offered Payton Talbott at the White House,” O’Malley said, while suggesting there had been a misunderstanding somewhere in the process. He also questioned how Talbott could have been offered him without the UFC first speaking to O’Malley.

O’Malley subsequently addressed the issue again on social media, writing that he had fought four times against three of the division's all-time greats over his last seven appearances and insisting that he was not avoiding competition.

Sean O'Malley, Payton Talbott on Interesting Trajectories in Respective Careers

The dispute comes at an interesting point for both fighters. Talbott has rapidly established himself as one of the UFC's most intriguing young bantamweights. He improved to 12-1 after stopping Figueiredo at UFC 332, making it three consecutive victories and adding another former UFC champion to his résumé. His recent run also includes a victory over former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo.

O’Malley, meanwhile, remains focused on returning to title contention. His next move is closely connected to the upcoming bantamweight championship trilogy between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333 on Oct. 24. O’Malley defeated Yan by split decision at UFC 280 in 2022, while Dvalishvili has defeated O’Malley twice.

That creates a straightforward scenario for “Suga.”

If Yan defeats Dvalishvili, O’Malley wants another opportunity against the current champion. If Dvalishvili wins, O’Malley has indicated that a fight with Talbott could make considerably more sense. Talbott has also acknowledged that the result of Yan-Dvalishvili could determine whether the O’Malley matchup becomes realistic.

Could Sean O'Malley vs. Payton Talbott Eventually Take Place?

For now, though, O’Malley wants to correct the record. He's not saying he refuses to fight Talbott. In fact, he has indicated that the matchup interests him when the timing is right.

His argument is that he never rejected the fight because the UFC never actually presented it to him. That distinction is likely to remain part of the buildup if O’Malley and Talbott eventually meet inside the Octagon.