UFC 323: Edson Barboza vs Jalin Turner Preview & Prediction
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Lightweight KO artists are on deck for the fourth fight of the night, with Edson Barboza taking on the unretired Jalin Turner.
Edson Barboza vs Jalin Turner facts
What time are Edson Barboza and Jalin Turner expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs Yan 2? T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs Yan 2? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs Yan 2
What TV channel is UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs Yan 2 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs Yan 2? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs Yan 2 main card
Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan (Bantamweight)
Alexandre Pantoja vs Joshua Van (Flyweight)
Brandon Moreno vs Tatsuro Taira (Flyweight)
Henry Cejudo vs Payton Talbott (Bantamweight)
Jan Błachowicz vs Bogdan Guskov (Light Heavyweight)
UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs Yan 2 prelims
Grant Dawson vs Manuel Torres (Lightweight)
Terrance McKinney vs Chris Duncan (Lightweight)
Maycee Barber vs Karine Silva (Women’s Flyweight)
Nazim Sadykhov vs Fares Ziam (Lightweight)
Marvin Vettori vs Brunno Ferreira (Middleweight)
Edson Barboza vs Jalin Turner (Lightweight)
Iwo Baraniewski vs Ibo Aslan (Light Heavyweight)
Mansur Abdul-Malik vs Antonio Trocoli (Middleweight)
Muhammad Naimov vs Mairon Santos (Featherweight)
Edson Barboza: Can "Junior" produce a vintage performance of old at the age of 39?
Renowned for some of the most iconic and brutal knockouts the sport has ever witnessed, Edson Barboza (24-13) makes his second appearance since returning to lightweight after an eight fight stint at 145 pounds. One of the most fearsome kickers the UFC has ever seen, "Junior's" vicious Muay Thai striking game is the stuff of legend. Barboza's spinning wheel kick KO over Terry Etim is one of the most iconic knockouts in UFC history, to say nothing of highlight reel stoppage victories over the likes of Dan Hooker, Beneil Dariush, and Shane Burgos. However, he's had mixed results of late, posting a 4-4 run at featherweight, before dropping his return to 155 pounds to Drakkar Klose at UFC 319.
Jalin Turner: "The Tarantula" returns to the fold after ending his brief stint in retirement
Renowned for his rangy frame and brutal knockout power, Jalin Turner (14-9) makes his promotional return after briefly retiring from the sport following a submission defeat to Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC 313 in March. At 6'3, "The Tarantula" is gargantuan for the weight class, leveraging his reach and long limbs to land vicious strikes from unorthodox angles. However, while Turner is undoubtedly a lethal finisher, he's proven susceptible to lapses in fight IQ that have cost him in high profile situations. The American found himself getting TKO'd by Renato Moicano after botching a walk-off KO, before practically diving into a triangle choke from the aforementioned Bahamondes in his most recent appearance.
Edson Barboza vs Jalin Turner prediction
In his heyday, Barboza probably wins this but the Brazilian's many wars have seemingly caught up with him as of late. Drakkar Klose is a solid competitor but there's a solid argument to be made that his reckless approach means the "Junior" of old would have found an opening to flatline him. However, not only did Barboza come up short across the board against Klose, the once-fearsome knockout artist even found himself on the wrong end of the striking exchanges.
On the other side of the cage, Turner is almost a decade younger, with considerably less wear and tear on the tires. "The Tarantula" might be just 1-4 in his last five fights, but he's a vicious knockout artist with a mean submission game in his back pocket; a concerning omen considering that Barboza seemingly gets wobbled in every single fight he's in these days. He's also got an enormous size advantage over "Junior" should the fight enter the clinch or hit the ground, even if the disparity in the pair's reach is remarkably only half an inch.
Turner's main weakness has always been his grappling defense, an area of the game that Barboza is unlikely to exploit. This contest is going to be contested primarily on the feet, an area that undoubtedly favors the younger, larger man. Turner hasn't been knocked out since losing to the heavy-handed Vicente Luque in the infancy of his career up a weight class, whereas Barboza has been hurt and stopped on multiple occasions by fighters with purportedly less power than "the Tarantula."
Turner seals a triumphant return to the promotion early, either nuking Barboza unconscious with a bomb in the open or hurting on him on the feet and locking up a submission.
Prediction: Jalin Turner to win by stoppage
