Jalin Turner might be a part of an era-ending UFC event.
Turner was once considered one of the vital promising names at 155 kilos, after he rose through the ranks courtesy of 5 straight wins between 2020 and 2022.
But after Turner submitted Brad Riddell in 45 seconds at UFC 276, he won only a single fight across his next five outings. That difficult run included split decision defeats to Mateusz Gamrot and Dan Hooker but led to more lopsided fashion with a TKO against Renato Moicano and submission by the hands of Ignacio Bahamondes.
Following his most up-to-date setback in March 2025, Turner announced his shock retirement from MMA. Only just a few months later, ‘The Tarantula’ teased a return to the cage, and his comeback is now officially within the calendar.
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Jalin Turner vs Edson Barboza announced for UFC 323
Turner’s announcement that he was hanging up the gloves on the age of just 29 shocked many within the MMA community, and lots were predicting that call to be quickly reversed. That has now come to fruition, with ‘The Tarantula’ set to make his return at the ultimate pay-per-view event of 2025.
Bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili will headline UFC 323 on December 6 in a title rematch against Petr Yan. The cardboard might be topped by a championship double header, with Alexandre Pantoja putting his flyweight gold on the road against Joshua Van within the co-main event.
Amongst those setting the stage for the 2 title fights is Turner, who will make his comeback against a feared knockout artist and longtime fan favorite in Edson Barboza. The fight was announced by the promotion on Wednesday.
Against the Brazilian, the returning 30-year-old might be facing a veteran who has shared the Octagon with the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Tony Ferguson, Justin Gaethje, and Dan Hooker across a lengthy 37-fight profession.
Barboza is the one opponent who scared Gaethje, and Turner will look to avoid the identical type of fear when he faces off against a person with a highlight reel that might stack up against anyone’s in MMA.
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Jalin Turner returns on the UFC’s last PPV before the Paramount deal begins
That fight means Turner’s return from retirement will come because the UFC wraps up its ESPN era with one final pay-per-view.
Dana White announced the UFC’s recent broadcast deal in August, with the MMA leader reaching an agreement with Paramount value $7.7 billion.
Along with the promotion’s events heading to Paramount+, the deal has brought an end to the UFC’s PPV model.