Jalin Turner aims to continue ascent in the lightweight division while conquering his real fear of heights

LAS VEGAS – Jalin Turner picked up his fifth-straight win on Saturday evening in what was supposed to be one of the toughest fights of his UFC run, however, “The Tarantula” made it look easy.

Closing out the preliminary card of UFC 276 at T-Mobile Arena, Turner (13-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) blitzed through Brad Riddell in a manner of seconds. A crushing right hand early prompted Riddell (10-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) to shoot for a takedown, and Turner slapped on a guillotine choke to force the tap just 45 seconds into the fight.

It was the second sub-minute finish in his eight fights under the UFC banner, but this one now has Turner knocking on the door of facing the top names in the division as he is likely to enter the promotion’s official rankings.

“I was just talking to my manager about how I used to fight at Commerce Casino and now I’m about to have a number next to my name in the UFC,” Turner told reporters including MMA Junkie at the post-fight news conference. “I always felt I would be a champion, I always felt like I’d be something great. I’ve always felt that way even when I was in my backyard training. I had nobody, you know? Just a kid with a dream, and now, it’s just making it all happen.”

Turner’s current five-fight win streak consists of three submission wins and two TKO finishes, proving he’s ready for the next step up in competition. In fact, every victory in the UFC has been a stoppage. He even took on Vicente Luque at a higher weight class in his debut on a few days’ notice in an effort to gain experience. Turner didn’t win that fight, but it was just a part of the learning and growing process.

For Turner, part of making everything come to fruition in his career is acknowledging his fears and facing them head-on. “The Tarantula” nickname is more than just a label for the Dana White’s Contender Series veteran. Some people have a fear of spiders and Turner explained why he embraces that aspect of the moniker.

“It’s a deeper meaning than just a name,” Turner explained. “It’s like, conquering fear, getting over things that make you uneasy, challenging yourself, getting better.”

Staying true to his word and his nickname, Turner made a challenge to himself in order to get over one of his fears.

“I told myself If I get this win – I’m afraid of heights, I’m really afraid of heights,” Turner said. “I told my coaches we’re gonna go skydiving. I win this fight, we’re gonna go skydiving. So that’s my next venture. I gotta get over that next fear.”