AUSTIN, Texas – Jalin Turner grew up in the same area of California as Bobby Green, which is what made the lead-up to his win Saturday a bit more challenging.
In the UFC on ESPN 52 co-main event at Moody Center, Turner (14-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) brutalized Green (31-15-1 MMA, 12-10-1 UFC) through an elongated (and controversial) sequence until referee Kerry Hatley stepped in and stopped the fight. It’s all business, at the end of the day.
“At the end of the day, it’s bittersweet because me and Bobby come from the same area,” Turner told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “We grew up in the same area and that’s what made it tough. But at the end of the day, it’s also business and you’ve got to see the business opportunities.
“I’m a businessman, an independent contractor, so I’ve got to go handle business when it’s attended to me. They put me in the position because they knew I’ve got the name now. I’ve got a little hype. I always go and put on a show. I’m a businessman. I handle what I have to do for the promotion. Look what happened.”
Green was wobbly as he eventually rose to his feet and shook hands with Turner. He attended the official decision reading but has yet to comment about the defeat or his status post-fight.
From what Turner gathered, Green was OK – all things considered.
“The ref, he just didn’t see. … I don’t know, bro. I don’t know what to call it,” Turner said. “He just waited until Bobby was out. Bobby is tough. Bobby is a really tough fighter. When I was punching him, he was defending them, and he was moving. He was still a bit coherent. I was like, ‘Dang.’ I was like, ‘Maybe this should be stopped. Maybe not.’ I’m not going to stop until you pull me off because it’s him or me. If he had gotten his bearings about him, he could’ve gotten back on top or something crazy. It is what it is. He was healthy. He was good. He was coherent afterward. We had good words, so I was happy he was in decent health. So it is what it is.”
Turner, 28, snapped a two-fight losing skid with the fight which he took on nine days’ notice. As for what’s next, Turner isn’t sure.
“I’m trying to contain myself because I want to do a backflip right now because I’m so hyped,” Turner said. “My son’s birthday is at the end of this month, so that was a big win for me. I want to throw him a nice party and close out the year properly and just focus on 2024.”
Turner got a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus for his finish, so his son’s birthday bash might go to the next level.
Green posted on social media after the loss and congratulated Turner for the win and thanked him for taking the fight on short notice.
Bobby Green’s reaction to his knockout loss, via his IG story pic.twitter.com/hXAYHjcPch
— MMA Mania (@mmamania) December 3, 2023
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.
