COSTA MESA, Calif. – Jalin Turner is happy to stand toe-to-toe with Brad Riddell.
Turner (12-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) faces Riddell (10-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in the featured prelim of Saturday’s UFC 276 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
Turner has a 100 percent finish rate and is ready to prove he’s the better striker when he throws down with the City Kickboxing standout.
“I think I’m one of the highest-level strikers,” Turner told MMA Junkie. “I have to go against high-level strikers and showcase that, so we’ll see (Saturday) on that night who’s a better striker. And even if it goes into a grappling exchange, I feel like I’m the better grappler, also. So I’m pretty confident wherever the fight goes, and it’s just another step up.
“Brad’s tough. Honestly, I never really go for spectacular finishes – they just happen. I just go in there and try to be basic, but I just have a niche for picking people’s flaws apart. I’ve been studying him a while, so we’ll see. I’ve got a few things up my sleeve, got a lot of composure, diligence for this guy, and we’ll see on fight night.”
Turner can make it five straight if he gets past Riddell and expects to take his place in the UFC’s top 15 lightweight rankings with a victory.
“A win puts me in the rankings,” Turner said. “I’ll probably be chilling there and we’ll just take it to the next step. I’ll talk to the company, talk to the UFC and see what they want me to do after that.”
