Edson Barboza vs. Jalin Turner prediction, odds, pick for UFC 323

UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2 is back in Las Vegas as we bring you one other betting prediction and pick for this next bout within the Lightweight (155) Division. UFC legend Edson Barboza of Brazil will tackle Jalin Turner of Texas in what must be an exciting scrap. Check our UFC 323 odds series for the Barboza-Turner prediction and pick.

Edson Barboza (24-13) is 18-13 contained in the UFC since 2010, most recently dropping a unanimous decision loss to Drakkar Klose at UFC 319 earlier this summer. Together with his fortieth birthday coming up in only a month, Barboza will look so as to add one other win to his illustrious profession. He stands 5-foot-11 with a 75-inch reach.

Jalin Turner (14-9) has gone 7-6 contained in the UFC since 2018. He’s lost back-to-back fights heading into this one, each coming by the use of finish against Renato Moicano and Ignacio Bahamondes. He’ll look to bounce back because the betting favorite against a UFC great. Turner stands 6-foot-3 with a 77-inch reach.

Listed below are the UFC 323 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings. 

UFC 323 Odds: Edson Barboza-Jalin Turner Odds

Edson Barboza: +240

Jalin Turner: -298

Over 1.5 rounds: -105

Under 1.5 rounds: -125

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Why Edson Barboza Will Win

• Last Fight: (L) Drakkar Klose – U DEC
• Last 5: 2-3
• Finishes: 13 KO/TKO, 2 SUB

Despite looking great heading into his last fight, Edson Barboza fell barely behind within the striking numbers (147-73) to Drakkar Klose and ended up losing the bout following a valiant effort within the third round. Despite nearing his fortieth birthday, Edson Barboza still has all of the tools crucial for winning at this level and he clearly still has a desire to compete under the brightest lights. Against a fellow striker like Jalin Turner, Barboza must have a possibility to show things loose against his opponent.

Barboza could have the slight advantage in hand speed during this fight and if he’s in a position to get Turner dropping his hands from the body shots, it should open his opportunities to land damage to the top. While Barboza shall be working with a noticeable height drawback, he can mitigate the gap by landing low calf kicks and lengthening his mixtures on the feet.

All in all, Edson Barboza is a dangerous opponent for everybody to face and if he’s in a position to find his “flow state” within the striking, Jalin Turner could have to walk through some mixtures to make this a dog fight. Although he’s listed because the moderate underdog, don’t sleep on Barboza’s ability to show any fight right into a technical scrap contained in the pocket.

Why Jalin Turner Will Win

• Last Fight: (L) Ignacio Bahamondes – SUB (triangle choke, R1)
• Last 5: 1-4
• Finishes: 10 KO/TKO, 4 SUB

Jalin Turner’s last 4 losses have come against the likes of Mateusz Gamrot, Dan Hooker, Renato Moicano, and Ignacio Bahamondes. Each opponent is at the highest of their game and although Jalin Turner had a good shot in each, he hasn’t been in a position to construct any recent momentum by stacking up wins. This fight against Barboza is the proper opportunity to prove to himself that there is still a spot for him throughout the rankings of this division.

Jalin Turner’s biggest advantage, as is the case with most of his fights, shall be his freakish length and reach for the division. There is a reason he’s called “the Tarantula” and if he’s in a position to utilize the reach, he should find a way to maintain Barboza’s aggressive striking at-bay. Turner also has very long legs and might snap his leg kicks in a flash, so expect him to return fire promptly if Barboza begins hacking at his legs.

Turner is the more versatile athlete and with a 75% takedown defense, is welcome to maintain this fight on the feet against a classically-trained Muay Thai artist like Barboza. Pay attention to Turner’s offense along the fence as he’s been in a position to use his long arms to sink chokes from a standing position. If he finds his back against the fence, Turner could use his height excessive of Barboza to threaten potential chokes in the event that they’re open.

Final Edson Barboza-Jalin Turner Prediction & Pick

This must be one other fun scrap on the Early Prelims as each fighters shall be greater than willing to maintain this one on the feet. Edson Barboza is actually the more technical striker, but he hasn’t been in a position to land significant damage on opponents over his previous few appearances. Jalin Turner, alternatively, is desperate for a win with a 1-4 record in his last five fights against tough competition.

If this fight stays exclusively on the feet, Jalin Turner could have the slight advantage because of his leverage and power. Nonetheless, Barboza finds success from forward pressure and suffocating opponents along with his striking output, so it’ll be interesting to see which fight is leading the dance when it comes to forward movement.

I expect Jalin Turner to circle across the cage as Barboza walks him down, landing intermittent strikes and slipping out of range. Each fighters will land their fair proportion of offense, but in the long run it’s Jalin Turner with the cleaner performance on the feet. We’ll side with the over for a more confident pick.

Final Edson Barboza-Jalin Turner Prediction & Pick: Jalin Turner (-298); OVER 1.5 Rounds (-105)