Turner took on Kaue Fernandes in a lightweight tilt at UFC 330. “The Tarantula” took just 39 seconds to finish Fernandes, earning a $100k performance bonus for his knockout win. Turner now has four fights left on his current deal and recently revealed whether he wanted to test free agency after his last contract ran out.
Jalin Turner signed a five-fight UFC deal after his previous contract expired
Turner’s previous contract expired with his knockout win over Edson Barboza last December. Notably, that bout marked his Octagon return after a brief retirement. Beating Barboza in the first round warranted a new deal in the eyes of the promotion and Turner subsequently signed a five-fight contract.
“My deal was up,” Turner told Ariel Helwani. “Barboza was the last fight on my contract. So, I just signed a new five-fight deal with the UFC.”
Turner seemingly wasn't too keen on free agency. He let his manager handle offers from other promotions and negotiations with the UFC, ultimately returning to the promotion.
“I let my manager handle all that,” Turner added. “I’m happy with the UFC. I ain’t saying nothing else about it. I mean I heard some talks [about other offers]. But ultimately, the UFC came through; they always come through. So, I’m still here. I’m happy. I can’t complain.”
Turner (16-9) briefly retired from fighting following a loss to Ignacio Bahamondes last year. He claimed that he was emotionally burdened by the idea of hurting others, especially after his slugfest against Dan Hooker and a vicious knockout of King Green. However, Turner then came out of retirement with a changed mindset and has since scored back-to-back first-round knockout wins.