Jalin Turner shares bitter truth about UFC 300 loss forcing him to consider retirement, talks being "overcome with the fear of losing"

Lightweight contender Jalin Turner announced his retirement following a submission loss to Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC 313 on Mar. 8, 2025. After controlling the fight early, Turner was caught in a triangle choke, marking his second consecutive submission defeat. Turner then signaled the end of his eight-year professional MMA career.

Turner’s coaches and teammates backstage urged him to reconsider, but the 29-year-old admitted that his passion for fighting had faded. Reflecting on his decision in an interview with Submission Radio, he revealed that his struggles began after his loss at UFC 300:

"I've been struggling with it—the thought of it—since UFC 300. The UFC 300 loss kept consuming me; it didn’t go away. I thought I was overcome with the fear of failure, the fear of losing, and the fear of not giving it my all. I couldn't find a place of consistency in my head to want to compete."

Check out Jalin Turner's comments below:

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A look into Jalin Turner’s UFC journey

Jalin Turner has experienced a rollercoaster UFC career, showcasing his knockout power and grappling skills while facing some of the toughest fighters in the lightweight division.

Turner made his promotional debut at UFC 229 in 2018 against Vicente Luque, suffering a first-round knockout loss. However, he rebounded in his next fight, securing a knockout victory over Callan Potter at UFC 234. Over the years, Turner built a reputation for his finishing ability, earning wins over Joshua Culibao, Brok Weaver, and Uroš Medić. His guillotine choke win against Brad Riddell at UFC 276 earned him a Performance of the Night bonus.

Despite setbacks, including close decision losses to Mateusz Gamrot and Dan Hooker, Turner proved his resilience. He stepped in on short notice to face Bobby Green in December 2023 and delivered a stunning first-round knockout. However, his momentum stalled at UFC 300, where Renato Moicano stopped him in the second round.