Knockouts were the big winners at UFC. In all, there were 11, including nine first-round KOs.
The big loser might have been humility, at last, after Payton Talbott, the rising bantamweight, won his fight.
On Saturday, he stopped former two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo with a first-round knockout. In his previous fight, Talbott mauled UFC legend Henry Cejudo in a unanimous decision.
“I just hopped the floor with two champions, back to back,’’ Talbott told Joe Rogan during his post-fight interview on the Paramount+ livestream.
UFC 332 key takeaways
Payton Talbott calls out Sean O’Malley champion
After saying he mopped the floor with two champions, the 28-year-old Talbott said, “And I want another one.’’
Who does
Talbott want? Sean O’Malley, the former bantamweight champion and owner of the colorful hair.
O’Malley is the third-ranked contender in the bantamweight division, and Talbott rocketed up from his spot at No. 12 after the convincing victory at UFC 332.
Valentina Shevchenko’s absence is eerie
It was an odd sight to watch Natalia Silva and Wang Cong fight for the women’s bantamweight title. It was the first time in 14 such bouts that Shevchenko was not fighting.
She had to vacate the title after suffering ligament damage to her shoulder and back that reportedly could keep her out for more than a year.
Shevchenko, the 38-year-old Russian, won the bantamweight title for the first time in 2018.
Natalia Silva looked and sounded like a worthy champ
Not everybody was thrilled that the main event at UFC 332 featured Silva and Wang Cong fighting for the flyweight title.
“A lot of people criticized us for being the main event of this card,’’ Silva said, “…Don’t believe no one. No one can tell you what you deserve or you can’t. Just go out there and do it.’’
But there were a smattering of boos during the fight when the two women were locked in a clinch along the fence or when the action slowed.
There were high expectations as the knockouts piled up.
Heavyweight division bounces back
Gable Steveson’s shocking knockout loss Sept. 19 ripped one of the division’s mostly highly touted prospects out of the picture at least temporarily. The void may have been filled.
Former NFL player Anthony Wint, who played linebacker with the New York Jets, improved to 9-0 (2-0) with a first-round knockout over previously undefeated Lucas Armand. Also, Johnny Walker moved up to heavyweight from light heavyweight and looked like a good fit while knocking out his opponent in the first round.
Dana White addresses the critics
USA TODAY Sportsjoined the chorus of criticism over the UFC 332 card. Though it lacked starpower on the marquee, 11 knockouts made it among the more entertaining UFC events in recent history. UFC CEO Dana White addressed the situation.
“Here’s the reality in this sport,'' White said. "We do like 44 cards a year, right? Forty Four fights a year. And then we have The Contender series and all the things that we do. So not every card is going to be for you. Not every card is going to go, ‘Oh, wow, this is the one I have to see it.’ Who gives a (expletive). There might be 43 more that you might feel that way. Or 42 or 40.
“We are the best at what we do. There’s no denying it. …Lots of people with lots of money who have done really good things in life have tried to get into this business and can’t. They don’t know what to do. We’re the best. And all the so-called experts have no...clue about the fight business.''
Timing is everything
Wint, the former NFL player, clocked the fastest knockout time, stopping Armand by TKO 23 seconds into the bout. And Marcus McGhee barely secured his first-round knockout, finishing Anthony Robert with just two seconds left in the first round.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dana White answers critics: UFC 332 takeaways as Silva, KOs highlight night
