Turner (16-9) had briefly retired last year following a submission loss to Ignacio Bahamondes. “The Tarantula” revealed that the thought of hurting his counterparts was taking a toll on him. Turner was especially scarred by a violent knockout win over King Green and a back-and-forth clash against Dan Hooker.
However, Turner has since returned to action and scored two first-round knockout wins in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He opened up about the same after his latest victory.
Jalin Turner reveals change in mindset that makes fighting ‘more peaceful’
Turner viciously dispatched Kaue Fernandes with a left hook at UFC 330. While he’s previously stated that the violence of mixed martial arts bothered him, the 31-year-old has since changed his perspective.
The American has realized that his opponents are also sharing the Octagon with him because of their love for the sport. Turner now knows that getting hurt is inevitable in a sport like MMA. His change in perspective has eased the burden in his mind of punishing his opponents.
“The [King Green] and Dan fights got to me,” Turner told Full Send MMA. “All those fights got to me. But now I know that I’m here and it’s not because of me. It’s so much more past than just I’m trying to hurt people; I’m trying to beat people up… Now, the person across the Octagon from me loves what they do as much as I do. When I started thinking about it like that, that makes it a little bit more peaceful.”
Turner was riding a five-fight finishing streak in 2022 before dropping four of his next five. In one of those losses, Turner walked off after knocking down Renato Carneiro, only for the Brazilian to get back up and turn the tables, stopping him later on. While his stock briefly plummeted, his last two knockout wins have reminded fans of the threat he poses.
Jalin Turner explains how he overcame his own emotions when faced with the possibility of hurting his opponents
“The King Green and Dan Hooker fights got to me. Then I realized the person across from me wants to be there as much as I do. That made it more peaceful” pic.twitter.com/Tm0cuDRH78— FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma) August 16, 2026