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.”