That’s a big deal. For Jalin Turner, who has appeared on a numbered event in seven of his nine trips to the Octagon, it’s business as usual. On Saturday, it’s UFC 290 and a main card meeting with Dan Hooker. Could Turner possibly go back to the UFC APEX again?
“It’s my job, so if they ask me to, I could,” he laughs. “But, for the most part, I like the big cards and I completely prefer it. Big crowds, big cards, please. All day, every day.”
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Having “The Tarantula” on pay-per-view cards is practically a no-brainer these days. He’s won six of his nine UFC bouts, with all victories ending via knockout or submission, he’s ranked 11th in a stacked lightweight division, and he always shows up looking for a finish. Yes, a lot of fighters say that, but Turner means it. So much so that when talking about his split decision loss to Mateusz Gamrot in March, he was more concerned that if he did win, he was going to see his finish streak snapped.
“Part of this game is being entertaining,” said Turner. “You have to win, of course, but if you’re entertaining, people are going to want to watch you fight more and more. And that’s what I like to go do. I like to go and not just entertain, but I like to entertain and win. I like to try to finish these fights, and, at the end of that fight, I was so frustrated that I didn’t knock him out. That’s what really bothered me. Even if I got my hand raised, I’d be like, ‘Man, there goes my hundred percent finish rate.’ I was more upset about that than anything. Some people just want to win, and it’s about winning, too, but some people only want to win and don’t care if it’s boring. I think that takes away a lot of the credit and credibility for me.”
“They love me out there,” corrects Turner, who is 4-0 in the UFC against fighters from New Zealand or Australia. “I keep fighting their countrymen, but they love me.”
It’s hard not to root for the 28-year-old, who doesn’t get involved in any pre-fight gamesmanship, choosing instead to leave his fighting for the Octagon. And when he’s in there, he’s willing to chase after the highlight reel finish. Yet according to him, it’s not about taking risks to get the knockout or submission but doing his homework long before the gloves are on.
“I just see the things line up that I’ve been training in camp or I see the openings we’ve been capitalizing on, getting this opportunity, and then I see it line up and I just seize the moment right then and there. So it’s not putting myself in the fire; it’s more that I did my homework really well and I got to expose it right away.”
If he hits his mark again on Saturday, that could mean a move into the Top 10, more big fights, and soon, title contention.
“I definitely feel that way,” he said. “There’s no denying me after I win this one, get another big win, and then see where we go from there. Probably do a main event, do a five rounder if they want me to do that, or I’m right there in title contention.”
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Not bad for the kid who was 4-3 as a pro at one point.
“It’s all been a dream,” Turner said. “I looked back and I never lost sight of that, never had doubts about being where I am. And being here literally fulfills the dream. After visualizing being here so many times and thinking about fighting all these guys so many times, I find comfort in it, and I continue to feel like I’m definitely destined to become a champion in this division. Everything’s been lining up perfectly and I really feel like it’s just part of the process that’s going to happen.”
