Opening as a +440 underdog, the odds continued to climb leading up to the event at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California until the Brazilian veteran closed somewhere north of +700, a number that basically says, “It’s going to be pretty unexpected if this guy goes out and gets the victory on Saturday night.”
On one hand, the intense action on Talbott — and the corresponding skyrocketing of Barcelos’ betting line — made sense: the 26-year-old Reno native sat at 9-0, coming off consecutive stoppage wins over Cameron Saaiman and Yanis Ghemmouri, and rightfully appeared on every watch list of the top prospects in the UFC to start the year. But, on the other hand, here was a promising, but relatively untested, competitor stepping into the Octagon with a seasonedveteran, one that was coming off a third-round submission win over Cristian Quiñonez, who had gone 7-4 in his previous 11 UFC appearances, and carried a considerable edge in both experience and all-around skill.
TICKETS: UFC Atlanta | UFC Baku | UFC 317 | UFC Nashville | UFC 318
“The fight against Talbott was a different atmosphere, and I realized everyone was looking at me in a different way,” Barcelos said on Wednesday afternoon from his hotel room in Atlanta, where he’ll face off with former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt this weekend. “I was super-excited for that fight and really happy to bring that victory to Brazil.”
Barcelos didn’t just win the fight — he dominated, highlighting some of the holes in Talbott’s game while never allowing the emerging competitor to find his footing and get into a rhythm. He swept the scorecards, earning a 10-8 round from one official after battering Talbott in the opening stanza. At his post-fight media availability, several of the questions centered around what it was like to score such a monumental upset, with the former RFA featherweight champion politely expressing his happiness with getting the victory and refraining from turning the moment into a chance to question why he was such a colossal underdog in the first place.
