COSTA MESA, Calif. – According to Jalin Turner, Mateusz Gamrot is the only fighter he was offered as a replacement for UFC 285.
Turner’s (13-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) original opponent for the March 4 pay-per-view card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was Dan Hooker, who withdrew due to a broken hand.
Turner was eager to stay on the card, and got perhaps an even better replacement in higher-ranked lightweight Gamrot (21-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), who Turner says is the only fighter that took the fight.
“I’m just happy he stepped up, somebody stepped up,” Turner told MMA Junkie. “I wanted to stay on the card. I could have sat back and waited for somebody else on another card, but I was like – I just wanted to stay on 285 so, they made it happen.”
He continued, “He’s the only one that stepped up. Nobody else wanted to fight me on this card. They didn’t want that three-week notice fight, so I took the challenge.”
Turner has been on a role at lightweight, finishing his past five opponents in a row. He takes on one of the division’s best grapplers in Gamrot, but Turner says he’ll be ready for his wrestling.
“He’s a good opponent,” Turner said. “He’s going to come in, try to shoot, try to wrestle. I already kind of expected that from Dan (Hooker) a little bit, so I was a little bit prepared. It’s just another fight. I’m ready to take on whoever wants to step up and I always showcase it every time.”
He continued, “I’m ready to showcase everything I’ve been working on and who else to do it against than Gamrot? A high-level grappler. That’s his game, that’s his game plan, that’s his go-to. He’s going to try and take me down so let’s see how much I’ve improved.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.
