After a brief retirement, “The Tarantula” Jalin Turner is making his return against 15-year UFC veteran Edson Barboza on the UFC 323 Early Prelims. Barboza has an 18-13 record in the UFC, while Barboza is 7-6 in the promotion. The Early Prelims for UFC 323 begin at 6:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Check out my best bet for Edson Barboza vs. Jalin Turner at UFC 323.
Jalin Turner to Win in Rounds 1-2 (-150)
After losing Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC 313 in March, Turner announced that he is retiring from MMA. But eight months later, Turner is back and looking to pick up his first victory since December 2023. From 2020 to 2022, Turner was on a fantastic run, winning five consecutive bouts all by finals. But since he has gone 1-4 in his previous five contests.
Barboza is a long-time UFC veteran but is nearing his 40th birthday. He is currently on a two-fight losing streak and hasn’t won a fight since 2023. Both fighters do their best work on the feet, and Turner is the better striker. Turner lands 5.53 significant strikes per minute, 1.39 more than Barboza. Also, Barboza has the physical advantages as he is taller (6’3″ vs. 5’11”) with a larger reach (77″ vs. 75″), which should help him in this bout.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Turner is a -410 favorite with Barboza being a +320 underdog. But since all 14 of Turner’s MMA wins have come by finish, he is -200 to win by KO/TKO/DQ or submission. Turner has won all of his fights in the first or second round. With that being the case, the best value is to get him to win in Rounds 1-2 at -150.
