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United States Jalin Turner, known as "The Tarantula," transitioned from a challenging upbringing to a significant career in mixed martial arts, competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lightweight division.
Monster Energy welcomed rising UFC star Jalin Turner on Episode 320 of their sports and pop culture podcast UNLEASHED with The Dingo, highlighting his increasing prominence.
Compex added Jalin Turner, known as "Tarantula," to its athlete roster. Turner utilizes Compex products to maintain peak conditioning and performance for his fights.
Jalin "The Tarantula" Turner, a UFC lightweight fighter, partnered with Sweet Sweat, a fitness gear and supplement company, to manage his weight and conditioning for fights.
Born on May 18, 1995, in San Bernardino, California, Jalin Turner navigated a difficult neighborhood during his youth. He attended Summit High School, where recurring injuries prevented him from actively participating in sports such as football, basketball, and track and field. Despite this, he pursued wrestling during his sophomore year’s pre-season, though a broken finger soon sidelined him. These early setbacks, however, led him to discover mixed martial arts. Unable to afford formal training as a teenager, Turner improvised, running, shadow boxing, and using his family’s couch as a punching bag, eventually joining Team Adrenaline to formally begin his career.
Turner’s professional MMA journey officially began in 2016, following an amateur record of 5-2. He quickly gained recognition fighting primarily in California, accumulating a 7-3 record. His early career highlights included a technical knockout win against Noah Tillis at Bellator 192 in January 2018. This performance, along with his preceding two-fight winning streak, brought him to the attention of the UFC, leading to his signing. In September 2018, Turner held a purple belt in jiu-jitsu, which progressed to a brown belt by January 2022.
His UFC debut occurred on October 6, 2018, at UFC 229 against Vicente Luque. Although he faced a loss in his debut, Turner secured his first UFC victory in February 2019 at UFC 234, defeating Callan Potter via knockout in the first round. He continued to compete in high-profile events, earning “Performance of the Night” awards for his submission victory over Brad Riddell at UFC 276 in July 2022 and his knockout win against Bobby Green at UFC on ESPN 52 in December 2023. By January 2024, Turner achieved his highest ranking, reaching #9 in the UFC lightweight division. His career with the UFC concluded in March 2025 at UFC 313, where he announced his retirement after a submission loss to Ignacio Bahamondes.
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