Nick Aguirre is scheduled to take on fellow American prospect Payton Talbott at UFC Fight Night 232 next month.
The event is set to be held at the UFC’s Apex arena on November 18, headlined by a middleweight contender bout between Brendan Allen and Paul Craig. The card also contains an intriguing lightweight contest between Chase Hooper and Jordan Leavitt.
Aguirre vs. Talbott acts as the main card’s preantepenultimate event. Both rising stars are looking to make a name for themselves in the UFC’s bantamweight division. Neither are strangers to early stoppage victories, and another could put the victor on a mainstream radar.
Nick Aguirre: Returning to Competition
Nick Aguirre made his UFC debut back in January. The 27-year-old unfortunately became unstuck against former LFA champion Dan Argueta, losing by decision in a frustrating contest although on five days notice.
Before this, ‘Slick‘ competed in promotions such as Colosseum Combat and Anthony Pettis FC. He entered Dana White’s organisation undefeated, however he has been waiting for an octagon return since the beginning of 2023.
To stay active, Aguirre has been competing in Jiu-Jitsu and grappling matches. His training and continued association with the Pettis family have left him with a hunger despite a lack of MMA action.
He told Combat Sports UK: “I’ve just been training a lot. I’m always training all year round. I’m never not at the gym. I’ve been competing in Jiu-Jitsu as much as I can. Just trying to stay active, stay competing because I don’t want to get out of that zone of competition.
“I’ve been ready to fight for a while now, and that time is finally coming.”
Aguirre’s fight camp for the Talbott matchup has been underway for a while now. The American has had an extended period to prepare for his next appearance, and will be looking to make the most out of this opportunity.
He continued: “Things are going great. I heard about this fight a while ago – by the time we get to the fight it will have been a 13 week camp.
“A long camp for sure. I could fight tomorrow if I needed to. I’m in the right shape, I do all the things I need to and be ready.”
Payton Talbott: The Opponent
Talbott is a fresh face to the UFC. The 25-year-old earned his first contract just over two months ago after defeating Reyes Cortez on the Contender Series via decision.
The showing was actually Talbott’s first bout to reach the final bell. Throughout both an amateur and professional career, all 10 of his victories had come through knockouts or submissions. He is also a former Bantamweight champion within Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat promotion after stopping Cristhian Rivas.
Aguirre is highly aware of the dangers his upcoming opponent possesses, as well as the reasonings for a main card spot.
He said: “He’s obviously a tough guy. All of his fights look the same. He’s good at what he’s good at. He’s long, rangy with high value, lands a lot of strikes. Very diverse in his striking. I just know that’s what he’s going to do, he doesn’t wrestle much.
“I already know his game plan. He’s obviously good, the UFC likes him. He’s a lot of hype, we’re on the main card and that’s not because of me.
“I know what this is, I know they want to hype him up. I know they want him to make a highlight out of me. I’ve got to go out there and shut all that down.”
Similarly to Talbott, Aguirre has put together a series of impressive stoppage victories throughout his career to-date. A professional record of 7-1 contains seven finishes: three via KO/TKO, four by submission.
These submissions have also come in various ground positions, highlighting ‘Slick‘s grappling creativity. The 27-year-old is prepared for anything at UFC Fight Night 232, and is willing to emerge victorious via any means necessary.
Aguirre stated: “I’ll see how it progresses. I’m ready to go 15 minutes. I’m ready to go 15 minutes f***ing hard.
“I know it’s going to be a dogfight in there. I’m mentally prepared for 15 minutes, but I think I’m good enough where, if he makes one mistake, I’m going to take it. This level is that good where if you make one mistake, your night’s over. Obviously if something happens that would be great, I’d love to get it done. But I’m ready to go 15 minutes hard and that’s what I’m expecting.”
UK audiences will be able to watch the full card through TNT Sports, with the main event arriving in the early morning hours.
Do you believe Nick Aguirre will beat Payton Talbott next month? Are you excited to see him back in the octagon? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
