Payton Talbott wants people to know the truth about a ridiculous video clip that is ‘kinda getting out of hand.’
Payton Talbott put on a flawless performance at UFC 303, knocking out Yanis Ghemmouri in 19 seconds with a precise right hand to the chin (watch the finish here). It was his third finish in a row since joining the UFC via Contender Series 2023, and stock in the 25-year-old is just going up.
Talbott has gained a reputation for being effortlessly violent in the cage, and a little strange outside of it. Instead of the usual pre-fight hype packages most fighters put out on YouTube, Payton releases 20 minute experimental art films with names like ‘Cruor’ (coagulated blood) and ‘Hiraeth’ (deep longing).
Think Embedded meets Blair Witch.
The bantamweight fighter seems to enjoy subverting people’s ideas of what a fighter should look like, and he certainly did that after sharing footage that showed him pulling off some advanced pole dancing maneuvers. But he’s walking back another ridiculous clip that is so bizarre we can’t even share it with you. You’ll have to google ‘Payton Talbott butt vape video’ to see it, and be prepared because it’s Jackass-level gross.
After his UFC 303 win, Talbott took the time during the post-fight press conference to deny that was his butt (or vape, we hope) in the Payton Talbott butt vape video.
“I just want to address one thing: the ‘vape conspiracy’ was not me,” he said. “You can tell in the video that it is a white man. It was one of my dear friends at the time and you can actually hear me laughing behind the camera.”
Payton Talbott is HIM ?? pic.twitter.com/O3V1FMLI4T
— Ben Davis (@BenTheBaneDavis) June 30, 2024
“So yeah, I’ve been pretty quiet about it cuz it’s whatever, but it’s just getting kinda out of hand. So yeah, the vape video is not me, and that’s all I have to say about it.”
As for his lightning-quick UFC win?
“Everything is happening super fast,” Talbott said. “It’s kind of bittersweet, I wanted to get more of that fight than I did. But it’s always good to come over prepared.”
He’ll have more of a challenge if the UFC matches him up against Adrian Yanez (17-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC), who Talbott called out after his win.
“I just think that’s a dog fight,” he said. “That’s a tough fight, and we would put on a really good show, and it would just be fireworks. I respect the dude.”