Payton Talbott discusses his friendship with Grammy-winning artist Frank Ocean after UFC 317 win: "He's a very special person"

Payton Talbott recently opened up about his bond with Frank Ocean following his win at UFC 317. Talbott said that Ocean approached him after his fight last year and the two have since connected on a genuine level.

Talbott got back in the win column after displaying a dominating performance against Felipe Lima at UFC 317, winning by unanimous decision. Earlier this year, the 26-year-old suffered his first professional loss to Raoni Barcelos at UFC 311. However, he made necessary adjustments and bounced back with an impressive victory on Saturday.

As for his personal life outside of combat sports, Talbott shares a close friendship with Ocean. During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, the bantamweight prospect discussed how he became friends with the Grammy award-winning artist:

''[Frank Ocean] just reached out to me after my fight a year ago on International Fight Week and we just kinda kept contact. We hung out a couple times and we just had a lot of appreciation for each other and our respective careers.''

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

Talbott added:

''It was kind of strange, just unexpected at first. That's like the last person I would have expected, but after meeting him, he's just a normal person. He's a very special person and very gifted and just like brilliant, but I don't know, he's just a person. He's not a [fight] fan... The universe just connects people and has a weird way with the strings."

Check out Payton Talbott's comments below:

Expand Tweet

Notably, Ocean expressed his support for Talbott at UFC 317 via an Instagram story. The American singer-songwriter was also present at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, for Talbott's fight against Barcelos at UFC 311.

Payton Talbott talks about his next MMA outing

Payton Talbott recovered from his loss to Raoni Barcelos, securing a unanimous decision win over fellow prospect Felipe Lima at UFC 317.

During the post-fight press conference, Talbott said that he is ready to face anyone, suggesting a future matchup with Cody Garbrandt:

''The weight’s been lifted off my shoulders, I proved something to myself and I’m just going to keep going with this momentum. I’m not scared of that fight [against Cody Garbrandt]. I said Adrian Yanez’s name, but I heard he’s working on something with somebody. I’m sure that fight will happen eventually. I’m not scared of anybody. I’m here to fight. I’m not ducking anybody. I’m sure at some point in my career, I’ll want that rematch with Barcelos. But yeah, I’m down [for Garbrandt].''

Check out Payton Talbott's comments below (0:28):

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena