Former pro skateboard hopeful Jalin Turner hoping for more active 2022 starting with Mullarkey

LAS VEGAS – After an up-and-down start to his UFC career, Jalin Turner has been on a tear.

The 26-year-old, who at 6-foot-3 is one of the lightweight division’s tallest fighters, has three straight wins – and three straight finishes.

After fighting as a betting favorite for four straight bouts, the stakes were upped a bit this past September when Turner essentially was in an even-money fight against Uros Medic. But he left little doubt in that one with a first-round rear-naked choke finish on the heels of a submission of Brok Weaver and TKO of Joshua Culibao in 2020.

Turner (11-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) closes out the UFC 272 preliminary card at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday against Jamie Mullarkey (14-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) in a fight in which Tipico has him a slight betting favorite. The lightweights were supposed to fight in New Zealand in February 2020, but Mullarkey had to pull out of the fight with an injury.

“Jamie’s a tough opponent – he’s good,” Turner said at Wednesday’s UFC 272 media day. “(He’s) pretty well-rounded. He’s pretty durable, from what I’ve seen. He comes forward a lot (and) likes pressure. He likes to strike, but he also grapples, so it’s going to be a good fight.”

For a guy who wanted to be a pro skateboarder, Turner isn’t doing too bad for himself with the three straight finishes.

He said he knows Mullarkey can turn fights into brawls, so he may have to adjust if he’s hoping to keep things more technical.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Turner said. “I feel like I’m going to have the better hand wherever the fight goes. If we get into some crazy exchanges, it’ll be fun. I can keep it technical and just stay long the whole time. We’ll see. It just depends on how I feel fight night.”

Turner said fighting just once in 2021 wasn’t ideal for him, but he hopes to rectify that this year.

“I want to stay more active this year,” Turner said. “I’ve learned a lot of patience in the UFC not having a fight three or four times a year like I was on the local circuit. It’s helped me develop and grow as a fighter and I showcase it every time.”

UFC 272 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.