Underdogs achieving victories over favorites is a well-known story in the UFC community. The UFC 311 PPV card saw a similar outcome when rising star Payton Talbott fought MMA veteran Raoni Barcelos. The aftermath of the fight generated a lot of buzz, especially since Talbott had some notable supporters, including American singer Frank Ocean.
Over the years, there have been many tales of surprising outcomes in sports. In the case of Payton Talbott, he entered the match as a huge favorite with odds of -1050 against Brazilian fighter Raoni Barcelos. However, contrary to everyone’s expectations, the 26-year-old American prospect struggled significantly against the experienced Barcelos.
Barcelos threatened to pull off a big upset from the very first bell. The Brazilian scored an early takedown and immediately began locking up a rear-naked choke. Talbott did well to stay composed during his first taste of MMA adversity, but he failed to land any significant strikes and was dominated on the floor for nearly all of the five-minute frame.
WHAT A NIGHT FOR @BarcelosRaoni! 👏
He gets the UD to close out the prelims! 🫡 #UFC311 pic.twitter.com/xxqiazozQ7
— UFC (@ufc) January 19, 2025
Frank Ocean just showed support for Payton Talbott before his fight tonight on his IG story 🔥
“Gotta cook tonight P” #UFC311 pic.twitter.com/rQ7HetZ4jI
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) January 19, 2025
Barcelos continued to demonstrate his superiority as a grappler in the second round. The Brazilian’s combination of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling skills was recognized as a significant challenge for a ‘wonderkid’ like Talbott.
Interestingly, Barcelos also showed he could be a threat on his feet when the 26-year-old fighter stood up. After two rounds, it was evident that Barcelos was ahead on the scorecards. Ultimately, Talbott slumped to a lopsided 30-27, 30-27, 30-26 unanimous decision defeat to Barcelos.
Fight fans react to Payton Talbott’s upsetting defeat at UFC 31
Talbott’s disappointing performance capped off a challenging fight week, which featured a viral confrontation with Merab Dvalishvili. Musician Frank Ocean supported the rising bantamweight star before Talbott put his flawless 9-0 record on the line at UFC 311. Interestingly, despite the hype surrounding him in the promotion, most netizens and fight fans were leaning towards Talbott to win.
Payton Talbott and Raoni Barcelos in action at UFC 311 (Image via MMA Fighting)Consequently, when the American fighter displayed a disappointing performance in his latest bout, the fight fans eagerly shared their reactions. Check out some of the reactions below.
All that grappling with Frank Ocean didn’t pay off for Payton Talbott.
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) January 19, 2025
“My guy pretty like a girl and he got fight stories to tell” makes sense now😂😂😂 https://t.co/w35KfFJzws
— New Prof🇵🇸 (@Profreloaded) January 19, 2025
Frank Ocean at home watching this Payton Talbott performance:#UFC311 pic.twitter.com/eMxo74Bnse
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) January 19, 2025
my payton talbott propaganda is dead pic.twitter.com/xt3ZeJyrvt
— k 🇩🇴 (@kevstuhh) January 19, 2025
2 sodomites
— Vintyg (@Vintyg_) January 19, 2025
Frank ocean curse starts. 0-1
— Enmmity (@notEnmmityy) January 19, 2025
least surprising crossover 😂
— BYJOINTDECISION (@byjointdecision) January 19, 2025
Send Payton Talbott 2-3 years Dagestan and forget
— Diamond Dynasty 💎 (@RedFaceNoBelt) January 19, 2025
I still think Payton Talbott will be a force in the future, he just gotta fix his fight IQ and work a little more on his wrestling defense.
— AWURED0 (@AOUREDOO) January 19, 2025
Was NOT expecting this.
Thought this dude was bulletproof. Damn.
— Master Chief (@BasedSierra117) January 19, 2025
This happens to every single striker at some point
— w*h (@watch_hoop) January 19, 2025
Never want to see any fighter being a -1200 favourite again😂
— Aaron (@AndStillAaron) January 19, 2025
Many fight fans were shocked to see Talbott lose his undefeated streak in MMA. However, some pointed out the mistakes made by the American fighter and criticized him harshly. In contrast, Raoni Bercalos, the Brazilian fighter, received a wave of praise from netizens.
Stay Updated!
Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.
