UFC 323 saw Payton Tallbot have his hand raised at the end of the three rounds, but what stole the spotlight was the kind gesture from the retiring ‘Triple C’. Payton Talbott had just demolished Henry Cejudo, a former two-division champion and Olympic gold medalist. As soon as the last horn sounded, cameras saw ‘Triple C’ walking, bloodied, tired, and emotional, straight to Dana White to make one special request.
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Surprisingly, the gesture was not about Cejudo’s legacy or his retirement. It was about Talbott. The incident went viral as nobody expected the retiring legend to tell the UFC CEO, “Take care of that kid,” as his own career had come to an end. And it created the setting for a post-fight conversation. The veteran was stepping aside and indirectly passed the torch to the young fighter.
Henry Cejudo’s final gesture hits Payton Talbott harder than any punch
By the time Payton Talbott saw the clip, the emotion he’d been holding together all fight week finally cracked. “That actually meant a lot to me and almost made me kind of tear up,” he told Ariel Helwani. Talbott isn’t known for expressing much emotion, certainly not after a career-best performance, but this was an exception.
It was the context: he had just beaten a man he had previously trained with, and Cejudo chose that moment to advocate for him instead. Payton Talbott feels that people misunderstand Cejudo by focusing solely on the promos and villain persona he constructed to sell his fights. But in actuality, he is a very different breed.
“At his core, man, he is a very generous guy… a solid dude,” he explained. And for him, that generosity was on full show in that short, overlooked exchange with Dana White. What made it even more extraordinary was Cejudo’s effortless transition to mentorship mode.
“That actually meant a lot to me and almost made me kind of tear up, man. I don’t really be crying too often.
Henry gets all kinds of flak, but at his core, man, he is a very generous guy, and a solid dude, man.”
Payton Talbott appreciated Henry Cejudo telling Dana White to… pic.twitter.com/fouYn9vwE5
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 8, 2025
He did not defend the loss, nor did he try to belittle Talbott’s performance. Instead, he only pointed to the younger man’s potential. The 27-year-old understood the weight of that. It was nothing more than respect.
And what stuck with him was not the win, not the bonus Dana White gave him backstage, but the feeling that someone who’d already accomplished so much chose to boost him in their final moments under the spotlight. So now, all he looks forward to is making sure he continues making ‘Triple C’ proud, and to do that, he already has his eyes set on the next potential opponents.
Talbott wants to square off with a striker next
If a legend is willing to vouch for him moments after defeat, Talbott feels obligated to live up to that level, rather than coast on it. And, from his perspective, the first step is choosing a matchup that allows him to showcase a different side of his game.
He’s spent the last three fights grinding through wrestlers, and now he wants a bout that will allow him to open up. So, rather than pushing for a title eliminator or a safe stylistic matchup, Talbott is taking a direct risk. “I want a striker next,” he stated, emphasizing that he wants to give spectators something crazy, fast, and entertaining.
He’s proud of his grappling progress, but the 27-year-old wants people to remember what drew him to the dance in the first place: sharp hands, pressure, and a willingness to engage. Names like Marlon “Chito” Vera and Aiemann Zahabi are already at the top of his list. “I’m down for a [Marlon] ‘Chito’ [Vera] or [Aiemann] Zahabi,” he told Helwani.
They are more than just strikers; they are seasoned, durable, and capable of forcing him into a fight that will put his character to the test. That is exactly the point. If Payton Talbott is going to honor Cejudo’s faith in him, he intends to do so by entering a fight where nothing is guaranteed but chaos and opportunity.