Tag: Jalin Turner

UFC on ESPN 52 faceoff highlights: Noticeable height differences on main card

Check out the UFC on ESPN 25 ceremonial weigh-ins and faceoffs from Austin, Texas.

AUSTIN, Texas – The UFC on ESPN 52 ceremonial weigh-ins and faceoffs took place Friday at Moody Center, the site of Saturday’s fights, and MMA Junkie was in attendance.

Atop the bill, contenders [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (22-5-1 MMA, 16-5-1 UFC) and [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] (20-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) go toe-to-toe in a five-round bout. The co-main event stays at lightweight as [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] (31-14-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) battles short-notice foe [autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC).

Also on the card, [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC) welcomes former UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] (21-3-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC) to the bantamweight division. Other fights include [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) vs. [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] (18-8 MMA, 12-8 UFC), and [autotag]Julia Avila[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) vs. [autotag]Miesha Tate[/autotag] (20-9 MMA, 6-6 UFC).

Check out the full ceremonial weigh-ins and faceoffs highlights in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.

Bobby Green disappointed it’s not Dan Hooker, but hopes Jalin Turner will help turn in a classic at UFC Austin

Bobby Green sees Jalin Turner as just as exciting of a matchup as his original at UFC Austin: Dan Hooker.

AUSTIN, Texas – [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] sees [autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag] as just of an exciting matchup as [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag].

Green (31-14-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) was slated to face Hooker in Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 52 co-main event, but Hooker was forced out due to a broken arm. Turner will step in on short notice to face Green at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.

Turner (13-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) is coming off a thrilling decision loss to Hooker at UFC 290. Green was looking forward to throwing down with Hooker (22-12 MMA, 12-8 UFC), but sees his matchup with Turner delivering similar fireworks.

“It really sucks because that had Fight of the Night on it,” Green told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “But I think me and Jalin are going to do our thing, too. My most important thing is just setting out classics, stuff that can be watched, something that’s timeless, and keep getting those Fight of the Night awards. That’s where I was really at with it, but I think Jalin is going to do the same thing.”

Turner got off to a good start against Hooker, but “The Hangman” rallied to beat him on two of the three judges’ scorecards. Green is aware of Turner’s strong starts and aims to score his third-straight finish against “The Tarantula.”

“Especially in that first round or two, he comes really hard,” Green said. “I’m expecting that from him. Be careful, make sure I don’t make any mistakes, and I’m going to go in there and try and take his head off.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.

Jalin Turner: ‘I didn’t have a choice’ taking short-notice UFC Austin co-main event vs. Bobby Green

Lightweight says he wasn’t given much of an alternative. Hence, Bobby Green at UFC on ESPN 52 in Texas.

AUSTIN, Texas – Many fighters raised their hands hoping to land a short-notice fight against [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] this week.

Yet none of them got the call. Instead, [autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag], who wasn’t angling for a fight with Green, was inserted into the matchup.

Turner (13-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) meets Green (31-14-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) in the UFC on ESPN 52 co-main event Saturday at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Turner replaced Dan Hooker, who was forced out of the ESPN-broadcast co-feature due to an arm injury.

“The Tarantula” kept it honest at Wednesday’s media day for UFC on ESPN 52, saying he originally declined the fight, but was then pressured to take it.

“I feel like I didn’t have a choice not to take it,” Turner said.

Turner said he was offered more money in the original offer, so that wasn’t a factor in not wanting to take the fight. He said he then got a second call on which he was given little opportunity to have no be an acceptable answer.

Given opponents publicly willing to fight Green on short notice included Terrance McKinney, former champion Rafael dos Anjos and Jared Gordon, Turner isn’t sure why the UFC was so keen on having him fight Green.

“I’m trying to figure out the same damn thing, because I wasn’t saying nothing,” Turner said. “I was like, ‘Ah, go ahead. Let somebody else handle it.’

“I think it’s just because I’m ranked. They want somebody in the rankings, and who else is really saying something? Terrance said something, but he’s not in the rankings, so they probably didn’t want to do that. Shoot, I think I heard RDA’s name thrown in there, but he wasn’t going to make the weight. Jared Gordon, he stepped up, too? Man, they should’ve made that fight. Why throw me in there?”

Regardless, Turner doesn’t hate that he’s fighting Saturday on short notice. He’s determined to get a win against Green and hopes the UFC awards him with a big name next for stepping up.

“I was trying to say (to the UFC) we’re from the same area – I respect him. And they said that we’re putting this together,” Turner said. “At the same time, they know it’s going to be a banger fight because we’ve both got nice styles. I respect it.

“At the end of the day, it’s business, and I’m going to go out there as a businessman and handle mine. I’ll do that time and time again, and every single time. That’s what it is. They always know they can call me, but sometimes you have to stick back and assess certain things. It is what it is.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.

Video: Was Jalin Turner the right replacement to face Bobby Green at UFC on ESPN 52?

Jalin Turner was selected among many volunteers to replace Dan Hooker against Bobby Green at UFC on ESPN 52, but was that the right choice?

Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 52 got a late co-main event change after Dan Hooker suffered an arm injury and was replaced by [autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag] against [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag].

The event, which takes place at Moody Center in Austin, Texas, and airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+, has a number of compelling fights, but Hooker (23-12 MMA, 13-8 UFC) vs. Green (31-14-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) had fans particularly excited. The promotion landed a solid Plan B, however, with Turner (13-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) stepping in for a three-round fight in the lightweight division.

Several others names, including former champion Rafael dos Anjos, rising knockout threat Terrance McKinney and more, offered their services, but ultimately Turner got the assignment, despite coming off back-to-back losses, the most recent of which came to Hooker at UFC 290 in July and saw “The Tarantula” miss weight.

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Given all that, was Turner the right choice? That was a topic of discussion on the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” with host George Garcia and panelists Brian Garcia, Danny Segura and Mike Bohn.

Watch the video above to see the debate, or check out the entire episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.

Renato Moicano gives predictions for Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan, Bobby Green vs. Jalin Turner

Check out Renato Moicano’s picks for UFC on ESPN 52.

[autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] has his eye on this Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 52.

The UFC lightweight contender knows the division could go under a major change depending on what happens in the main and co-main bouts of the card.

At the top of the bill, [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] returns from his loss to former champion Charles Oliveira to fight rising contender [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]. It’s a big fight in the weight class and one Moicano sees Tsarukyan winning.

“Beneil Dariush, even though he’s getting kind of old, he still beat the new guy in the UFC, Mateusz Gamrot – a very good guy, very good grappler,” Moicano said on his YouTube channel. “Mateusz beat Tsarukyan. It’s so tough to choose. Some people are saying since Mateusz beat Tsarukyan, he (Dariush) will beat Tsarukyan, but I don’t think so. He has a good game to beat guys like Mateusz Gamrot, he’s a good wrestler, but when it comes to hold positions on the ground, he loses the position, that’s why he lost the fight.

“… I think Tsarukyan – even though his last fight against ‘Neto’ wasn’t his best performance, he almost got knocked out if you remember – I think he will beat Beneil Dariush shooting for takedowns and controlling on the ground. One thing that Tsarukyan does well is controlling people on the ground and throw elbows. I think that will be a huge factor on the fight. I can see this fight coming to a decision because Beneil Dariush is very tough, and he’s going to survive. But still, I think Arman Tsarukyan will beat Beneil Dariush in a decision.”

In the co-main event, [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] takes on short notice replacement [autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag], who stepping in on two weeks notice to replace an injured Dan Hooker.

Moicano has questions about Turner’s weight given the short-notice nature of the fight, and whether or not the fight will go down. However, if the fight goes on with a weight miss or not, he’s going with Turner.

“In my opinion, I think Jalin Turner will beat Bobby Green,” Moicano said.
“Why? Because he’s too tall and has a good guillotine. I don’t think Bobby will shoot for takedowns, especially because of Jalin Turner’s frame, but he will have trouble with the reach of Jalin Turner. Jalin Turner is coming off two losses and didn’t make the weight against Hooker, fair enough. I wonder how he’s going to make weight. The weight for me was a factor to try to get the Bobby Green fight, because it would be hard to make 155 for me.

“I don’t know Jalin Turner. Maybe he’s even heavier than me and that could affect him in the weight cut and the fight. But still, if he doesn’t make the weight and they still fight, I think Jalin Turner will be better than Bobby Green.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC fights announced in the past week (Nov. 20-26)

All the UFC fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Nov. 20-26.

Jalin Turner replaces Dan Hooker, meets Bobby Green at UFC on ESPN 52

Jalin Turner will make the save for the UFC on ESPN 52 co-main event, as he will replace the injured Dan Hooker against Bobby Green.

[autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag] has agreed to make the save for the UFC on ESPN 52 co-main event next month, as he will replace the injured Dan Hooker against [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag].

After Hooker (23-12 MMA, 13-8 UFC) re-injured his arm in preparation for the Dec. 2 bout at Moody Center in Austin, Texas, the promotion needed a replacement to face Green (31-14-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC).

Turner (13-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) stepped up for the assignment, and will clash with Green in a three-round lightweight contest. He is coming off a split decision loss to Hooker at UFC 290 in July.

UFC CEO Dana White announced the switch Thursday on his Instagram account.

Green will attempt to make Turner pay for his decision to step up in what could be his third consecutive win. “King” is coming off a 33-second knockout upset of Grant Dawson at UFC Fight Night 229 in October and a third-round submission of Tony Ferguson at UFC 291 in August.

The latest UFC on ESPN 52 lineup now includes:

  • Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan
  • Bobby Green vs. Jalin Turner
  • Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Rob Font
  • Sean Brady vs. Kelvin Gastelum
  • Punahele Soriano vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
  • Azamat Murzakanov vs. Khalil Rountree
  • Clay Guida vs. Joaquim Silva
  • Julia Avila vs. Miesha Tate
  • Cody Brundage vs. Zach Reese
  • Drakkar Klose vs. Joe Solecki
  • Melquizael Costa vs. Steve Garcia
  • Rodolfo Bellato vs. Ihor Potieria
  • Jared Gooden vs. Wellington Turman
  • Veronica Hardy vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.

MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month for July: New champion crowned in five-round thriller

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from July 2023.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from July 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month award for July.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

Nominees

UFC 290 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Robbie Lawler nets $21,000 in retirement bout

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 290 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $319,500, the highest number of 2023.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 290 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $319,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 290 took place at T-Mobile Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 290 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Val Woodburn[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Edgar Chairez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Denise Gomes[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yazmin Jauregui[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Jimmy Crute[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Vitor Petrino[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Marcin Prachnio[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cameron Saaiman[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Terrence Mitchell[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jesus Aguilar[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Shannon Ross[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Esteban Ribovics[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kamuela Kirk[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $4,428,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $19,017,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.

Dan Hooker shares X-ray of broken arm after UFC 290

It appears Dan Hooker suffered more than “just a scratch” at UFC 290.

It appears [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] suffered more than a scratch at UFC 290.

Though Hooker (23-12 MMA, 13-8 UFC) defeated [autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) by unanimous decision on the pay-per-view main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, he did not walk away unscathed.

When asked by commentator Joe Rogan if he suffered a broken right arm during his in-cage interview, a blood-soaked Hooker responded with a smile, “Just a scratch.”

As it turns out, it was much more than just that. Hooker posted an X-ray of a clearly broken bone. Hooker didn’t say anything beyond a “shrug” emoji.

Hooker, 33, was not available to reporters after the event as he was transported to a local hospital instead. With Saturday’s victory, Hooker has won two consecutive fights, a stretch that also includes a November win over Claudio Puelles by TKO.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.