Jalin Turner’s UFC comeback set for UFC 323 against Khabib Nurmagomedov’s former rival

UFC fan favorite Jalin Turner’s comeback fight is set for UFC 323 against one of the lightweight division’s legends.

UFC star Jalin Turner surprised fans, pundits, and fellow fighters when he announced his retirement at age 29 following a loss at UFC 313 earlier this year. Turner acknowledged that his passion for fighting had decreased amid his recent losing skid, which includes recent defeats to Dan Hooker and Renato Moicano.

After weeks of ramping up speculation over a comeback with viral training footage, Turner said he was ‘waiting on the call’ from the UFC matchmakers for his planned return to the lightweight division. Turner is still in the physical prime of his career and has plenty of time to get back into the title mix.

While Turner seems in a positive mindset ahead of his comeback fight, he’ll face a tall challenge in his return to the Octagon.

Jalin Turner vs. Edson Barboza added to stacked UFC 323 card

As announced by the UFC on Wednesday, Turner is set to face Edson Barboza on the UFC 323 undercard in a lightweight matchup.

Turner’s most recent victory came by knockout against Bobby Green at UFC Austin in December 2023. He’s slumped in recent years, losing four of his last five fights and falling out of the lightweight Top 15.

Before his ongoing losing skid, Turner won five straight bouts, including brutal wins over Brad Riddell and Jamie Mullarkey. The former Dana White’s Contender Series standout was on the verge of a potential title shot before his recent struggles.

Barboza returns to the lightweight division after recent losses to Drakkar Klose and Lerone Murphy. He had an up-and-down tenure at featherweight with wins over Shane Burgos, Billy Quarantillo, and Sodiq Yusuff.

UFC 323 is headlined by a UFC bantamweight title clash between Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan. The co-main event is a UFC flyweight matchup between the champion, Alexandre Pantoja, and top contender Joshua Van.