Turner was originally scheduled to face off with Dan Hooker, but the veteran from New Zealand suffered a broken hand in training camp, resulting in Polish standout Mateusz Gamrot stepping in on short notice, creating an even more compelling fight.
Though he’s been around the scene for quite some time, Turner is still just 27 and only now really starting to come into his own. If you toss out his short-notice debut loss to Vicente Luque up a division (and you should), the California native is 6-1 inside the Octagon and riding a five-fight winning streak, with his last win over Brad Riddell showing that he was ready for another step up in competition.
Standing six-foot-three with a dangerous 77-inch reach, Turner’s length is a serious problem for fellow lightweights, and as he continues to learn how to fully weaponize that advantage and combine it with his natural power and keen finishing instincts, he could continue climbing the lightweight ranks.
UFC 285 Fight By Fight Breakdown
Gamrot is a formidable test for Turner on Saturday — a 32-year-old veteran with a stellar 21-2 record (with on no contest) who is stationed ahead of him in the rankings and coming off a hard-fought loss to Beneil Dariush last fall at UFC 280. He’s the most experienced foe “The Tarantula” has faced to date, and how this contest plays out will provide a lot of insights regarding where Turner stands in the division at the moment.
While certainly a considerable challenge, this weekend’s pairing with Gamrot is a tremendous opportunity for Turner, as he either collects the biggest victory of his career and pushes towards the Top 5 in the 155-pound weight class or he gains a bunch of additional experience against a world-class talent and learns more about what he needs to work on in order to get there.
He’s looked outstanding over his last five wins, registering five finishes without reaching the third round, and if he adds another stoppage over Gamrot at UFC 285, Turner could find himself battling another top contender in the summer.
