A short notice fight didn’t stop Jalin Turner from delivering a devastating knockout to finish Bobby Green in the first round in the UFC Austin co-main event.
Despite little time to prepare, Turner looked battle ready as he came out swinging from the very first exchange and it was ultimately a right hand that tagged Green near the temple that spelled the beginning of the end. Another shot followed with Green falling face first to the canvas with Turner jumping on top with a barrage of punches.
While Green was pretty clearly done, referee Kerry Hatley continued to allow him to absorb a remarkable amount of punishment from Turner until he finally stopped the fight at 2:49 in the opening round. Turner agreed that the fight should have been stopped much sooner.
TURNER FINISHES GREEN IN ROUND 1 #UFCAUSTIN pic.twitter.com/YjeqI2GNSo
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 3, 2023
“Yes, I am [surprised the referee didn’t stop it sooner],” Turner said. “I was like come on. Like how much more. Bobby was a little wobbled. I’ve got to go until they pull me off, that’s part of my job.”
Prior to the end of the fight, the exchanges were coming fast and furious from both lightweights with Green snapping off some rapid-fire punches and then Turner firing back with several stiff shots of his own. Turner’s reach and power were an obstacle that Green had to tackle, especially with his hands-down style of defense on the feet.
While Green was staying strong in the pocket, Turner started to find his range and that led to the right hand that bounced off his opponent’s head as they were trading shots. Green struggled to find his balance with Turner delivering another right hand that put him down on the canvas.
With Green belly down on the canvas, Turner jumped on top and began raining down with blistering punches as the referee just stared at him. Turner’s assault continued while Green was just eating punch after punch until Hatley mercifully stopped the fight.
Green certainly absorbed far more damage than necessary but Turner had no choice but to continue until the referee pulled him off. That said, Turner looked incredible with the win as he bounces back from two straight losses in the octagon.
“I delivered, that’s what I do every time I step in here,” Turner said. “We come from the same area, the area we came from was rough. That’s how the business is, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”
