UFC on ESPN 52 results: Referee permits Jalin Turner to bludgeon Bobby Green in elongated stoppage

An impressive early stoppage by Jalin Turner in the UFC on ESPN 52 co-main event may have been overshadowed by the lack of stoppage by the presiding referee.

The controversially late stoppage Saturday from referee Kerry Hatley came at 2:49 of Round 1 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

Turner (14-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) initially wobbled Green (31-15-1 MMA, 12-10-1 UFC) with an overhand right. He repeated the strike and dropped Green, who turned belly down. Turner landed 19 consecutive, unanswered punches before the referee stopped it. Green was visibly unconscious by the 17th strike, but two more hard ones finally triggered the referee’s reaction.

The stoppage was viewed as egregious by many in the MMA community, including the commentary team of Brendan Fitzgerald, Daniel Cormier, and Michael Bisping.

Eventually, Green rose to his feet under his own power, though still visibly staggered by the damage absorbed.

TURNER FINISHES GREEN IN ROUND 1 #UFCAUSTIN pic.twitter.com/YjeqI2GNSo

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 3, 2023

Turner, 28, took the fight on less than two weeks’ notice and snapped a two-fight skid as a result of his victory. Green, 37, was originally scheduled to face Dan Hooker in a five-round fight. He has a two-fight winning streak snapped as a result of the loss.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 52 results include:

• Jalin Turner def. Bobby Green via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:49
• Deiveson Figueiredo def. Rob Font via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Sean Brady def. Kelvin Gastelum via submission (kimura) – Round 3, 1:43
• Joaquim Silva def. Clay Guida via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Dustin Stoltzfus def. Punahele Soriano via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:10
• Miesha Tate def. Julia Avila via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:15
• Cody Brundage def. Zach Reese via knockout (slam, punches) – Round 1, 1:49
• Drakkar Klose def. Joe Solecki via knockout (slam) – Round 1, 1:41
• Rodolfo Bellato def. Ihor Potieria via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:17
• Jared Gooden def. Wellington Turman via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:11
• Veronica Hardy def. Jamey-Lyn Horth via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.