Payton Talbott`s momentum took a hit earlier this year when Raoni Barcelos secured a decision victory over the bantamweight prospect at UFC 311. Now, Felipe Lima aims to completely derail that trajectory as they are set to meet this Saturday at UFC 317. Their bout is scheduled to open the main card action at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, offering the experienced Brazilian an opportunity to improve his organizational record to 3-0 against a highly-regarded talent.
Lima shared his thoughts on his opponent: “Talbott likes to strike; he enjoys putting pressure on his opponents. He struggled on the ground [against Barcelos], but I believe he`s a competent striker. However, his skillset has many openings. I have a clear idea of what he`ll attempt. He might think all I plan to do is take him down and hold him, but that`s completely inaccurate. He will try to impose pressure on me, but I`ll match that intensity. It’s going to be an excellent fight for the audience, and I`m happy it was moved to the main card.”
Lima made a strong UFC debut, submitting Muhammad Naimov in Saudi Arabia, followed by a decision win over Miles Johns in Tampa. The fight against Johns was taken on short notice despite Lima dealing with health issues. He is now returning to his natural weight class to face Talbott and is confident he will be even more dominant at bantamweight.
Lima commented on his weight class return: “I’m significantly quicker at 135 pounds. This is truly my division. At 145, I feel heavier and less agile; that’s not my weight class. I`m excited to be back in my division and can`t wait for UFC 317.”
Based in Sweden and a former Oktagon champion, Lima revealed that his initial opponent for UFC 317 was meant to be Jonathan Martinez. However, he needed a new opponent after being informed that Martinez had fractured his orbital bone during training. Lima explained that two weeks passed with no one accepting the fight, which eventually led to the matchup with Talbott.
Lima expressed his frustration during the search for an opponent: “I was getting agitated because I was training, maintaining my diet, and fully prepared, and I was worried I wouldn’t get to compete at UFC 317. I don’t understand why others seem unwilling to fight me. Perhaps it`s the risk associated with fighting someone unranked. I`m not privy to the specifics of the negotiations, but fighting at UFC 317 is an opportunity you absolutely shouldn`t pass up. When they offered me the fight, I immediately said yes, regardless of who the opponent was. I will never selectively choose my fights.”
Undefeated since losing his professional debut in his home state of Amazonas back in 2015, Lima boasts a 14-fight winning streak spanning nearly a decade, with a 50 percent finish rate. He confidently predicts he will stop Talbott “in the second round, or perhaps late in the third.”
Lima sees fighting Talbott as a key opportunity: “It’s a significant chance to face him because he has considerable hype and a large following. He’s a valuable name to beat to increase my visibility among people in the UFC, you know? The promotion was already looking to pair me with ranked fighters because finding standard opponents was proving difficult, which is why they considered Jonathan Martinez. Winning this fight will propel me to a higher level, and I am certain it will lead to facing a top 10 opponent next.”
Marcus Blakely