Payton Talbott Stuns Former Champion Figueiredo as UFC 332 Sets a Modern Finish Record

A statement finish

While Natalia Silva's vacant flyweight title win over Wang Cong headlined UFC 332, it was the co-main event that turned heads for a different reason. Payton Talbott finished former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo by knockout just over two minutes into the first round, adding the biggest name of his young career to a win streak that is forcing the bantamweight division to take notice.

Figueiredo, a two-time flyweight champion who moved up in weight in search of a new challenge, had no answer for the pace Talbott set from the opening bell. The stoppage came at 2:09 of round one, closing the show before the Delta Center crowd in Salt Lake City had settled into its seats.

A record night for finishes

Talbott's knockout was one of eleven finishes across the UFC 332 card, nine of which came inside the first round, a mark that outlets covering the event described as a modern UFC record for a single night. Roberto Soldic needed the full three rounds to see off Khaos Williams by decision, but almost everything else ended early: Esteban Ribovics stopped King Green by first-round knockout, and Roman Kopylov did the same to Ateba Gautier.

What it means going forward

For Talbott, beating a former two-time champion by first-round knockout is the kind of result that tends to accelerate a ranking rather than simply pad a record. For Figueiredo, it is a second consecutive setback at the new weight and a reason for his team to reassess where his career goes from here.

For the UFC, a card that already had Silva's historic title win as its headline now has a second, very viral storyline to promote: a night in Salt Lake City where almost nobody needed to hear the final bell.