Tomorrow night in the co-main event of UFC Austin, we are going to see an absolute banger in lightweight division between two ranked contenders. “King” Bobby Green (31-14-1) is looking to close out his year with a bang as he takes on the very dangerous Jalin Turner (13-7).
Originally, Green was supposed to face Dan Hooker in a five-round co-main event. However, Hooker broke his arm and had to pull out of the fight. With him pulling out, Turner decided to step in on less than two weeks’ notice to take this fight against Green and it shifted to three rounds.
Jalin Turner came into 2023 with a ton of momentum having won five fights in a row all by finish. However, 2023 has been a struggle for him. Turner lost a split decision to Mateusz Gamrot and then he lost another split decision to Dan Hooker back in July. Those two fights go his way and he’s looking at UFC title contention.
Bobby Green has had the opposite in terms of fortune this year. King Green got off to a rough start with a No Contest against Jared Gordon, but he’s looked incredibly since. He choked out Tony Ferguson at UFC 291 and then in a headliner in October, he stopped top contender Grand Dawson in just 33 seconds. If Green wins tomorrow, he’s going to get a top ten fight next.
UFC Austin Prediction
I actually liked the idea of Green fighting Dan Hooker. I loved Green’s speed and boxing skills against a guy like Hooker and when the fight was announced, I was leaning towards Bobby Green. Jalin Turner is a much tougher fight if you ask me. Turner is the much bigger guy and fights with great range and power.
Green has slick boxing, but I worry about the long-range weapons of Turner. However, I also have concerns for Turner. Turner struggles with the weight cut to 155 and missed weight against Dan Hooker. On short-notice, I’m sure the weight cut is going to be brutal and I wonder how his cardio will hold up against Green over three rounds.
Because of that, I think this fight is very close. On a full camp, I’d pick Jalin Turner at UFC Austin. However, on short notice with the existing weight issues, I lean towards Bobby Green here. It just feels like Bobby Green’s time and I think he gets a decision riding his cardio and boxing skills to winning the second and third rounds. That said, if Jalin Turner looks 100% fresh and good throughout, he’ll probably get the win.
Prediction: Bobby Green by Decision