"Little mentally weaker" - UFC Hall of Famer attributes Jalin Turner's loss at UFC 290 to "doubt" creeping in

Jalin Turner was once thought to be an interesting prospect in the UFC lightweight division. The 28-year-old is the tallest 155-pounder on the roster, standing well over six feet with a 77-inch reach. Furthermore, before 2023, 'The Tarantula' was on a five-fight win streak that seemed destined to grow longer.

Unfortunately for Turner, his purple patch was immediately followed by a rough one. He has suffered back-to-back losses, with his most recent defeat coming against Dan Hooker at UFC 290 this past Saturday. This caused UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping to offer his thoughts on Jalin Turner's latest loss.

Catch Bisping's podcast episode below:

On his BELIEVE YOU ME podcast, 'The Count' told co-host and former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith that Turner's loss came from the fighter beginning to doubt himself after he started tiring.

His exact words were as follows:

"I think he was a little mentally weaker as the fight progressed. I think he started to doubt himself, 'cause as you get tired, doubt creeps in. And I think, in general, Dan Hooker won that fight by being tougher. He was tougher on the night, he took some heavy shots, he took the head kicks, but he kept going and he kept walking out and throwing punches at Jalin Turner." [17:27]

Bisping also mentioned Turner's weigh-in failure prior to the fight as a potential factor in his performance, specifically the sharp decline in his cardio as the fight went on. Whether the reason was a poor weight cut, poor strategy or his opponent simply being better, Turner is now on a two-fight losing streak.

---

What was Jalin Turner's last UFC win?

Jalin Turner is currently struggling after losing to Dan Hooker at UFC 290. He lost a spot in the lightweight rankings and is now No.12 in the division. His previous loss came against Mateusz Gamrot, whose wrestling skills proved too high-level for Turner to contend with.

But prior to his recent pair of losses, 'The Tarantula' impressed countless MMA fans with his win over Brad Riddell, defeating him with a guillotine choke 45 seconds into the first round at UFC 276 in July 2022. It was Turner's most impressive win to date but also his last victory before the current skid.