Jalin Turner has been unveiled as the late replacement for Dan Hooker to fight Bobby Green in the co-main event of UFC On ESPN 52 on December 2nd in Austin, Texas.
The late switch in opponent on just over a week’s notice came after Hooker reinjured the arm that he broke earlier in the year, coincidentally during a fight with the 28-year-old Turner, which he still won via split-decision.
That was Turner’s 2nd split-decision loss in a row, having also come out on the wrong end of the judges ruling against Mateusz Gamrot a few months earlier.
Turner had been on a five-fight winning streak prior to that, so after the disappointment of those two losses he’ll now get an unexpected opportunity to attempt to end the year on a better note.
The 37-year-old Green’s 2023 campaign has faired better so far, though his fight with Jared Gordon back in April did end in a no-contest due to an accidental headbutt that knocked his opponent unconscious.
However, Green then went on to submit Tony Ferguson and just last month he KO’d Grant Dawson to take the No.13 spot on the lightweight rankings, one spot below the 12th placed Turner.
With Turner vs. Green now set for the co-main event spot, UFC On ESPN 52 proceeds with a card headlined by Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan, while elsewhere on the main card there’s also Deiveson Figueireo vs. Rob Font and Sean Brady vs. Kelvin Gastelum.
