When is the right time for a fighter to call it quits? For UFC CEO Dana White, the answer is simple: when they say they’re done. And Jalin Turner did just that. “He yelled it through the cage to me, and I said yeah, all right,” White confirmed at the UFC 313 post-fight press conference. The UFC boss isn’t one to argue with a fighter’s decision to retire. “Very rarely do I disagree with somebody when they feel like they want to retire.” That’s it. Just like that, ‘The Tarantula’ was done. So, what really led to this sudden decision?

Turner didn’t just wake up one day and decide he was done. The thought had been creeping in for a while, and as he told Ariel Helwani, it wasn’t just about the losses, but the mental toll of the fight game. “I took some time off, I stepped away. I didn’t fight for about 11 months, almost a year, and I was just trying to figure out if I still had the fire, the drive, the inspiration,” he explained. “It’s hard to be at the top of the sport and be inconsistent mentally.”

Turner however made sure to convey he stands firm on the call. “Yeah, I’m still feeling the same way. It’s been settling a little bit more. I got the retirement letter from the UFC, and I still stand by that decision. That’s just where I’m at right now with it.”

“I just had to process some things that I was going through, and I kept trying to find the love for the sport again, find my why again. I felt like I was in a cycle of forcing myself to fight without really wanting to be there. That’s not a great place to be as a fighter,” he added.

This 29-year-old’s struggles came to a boiling point after UFC 300. What happened? A loss to Renato Moicano. One that felt like the final nail in the coffin after decision defeats to Dan Hooker and Mateusz Gamrot. That loss left him questioning if he even wanted to be in there. That defeat marked his third loss – a stark contrast to his dominant five finish streak from 2020 to 2022. Then came UFC 313, where he suffered another first-round loss, this time to Ignacio Bahamondes. And that was it. That’s all it took for doubt to creep in and settle in ‘The Tarantula’s’ mind.

However, there’s a twist. Turner admitted that if he had won at UFC 313, his decision to retire might have been different. A victory could have reignited the passion he had been searching for. But with the loss, he felt there was no reason to continue. Or so he thought.

Could Jalin Turner make a comeback?

Retirement in combat sports is often a revolving door, and despite doubling down on his decision, Turner himself seems to be keeping it slightly ajar. While reflecting on his career, he left fans with an interesting statement on Instagram.

“God opened the door to MMA when I didn’t know where else to go. I got to the UFC in 2018. Made it to the top 10 in the toughest division. Just know all the positivity has helped me more than you all know. I appreciate it all,” Turner wrote. Then came the ray of hope. “Things can change. We’ll see what the future holds.” So, is he really done? Or is this just a temporary break? Turner isn’t the first fighter to walk away, only to return when the itch to compete comes back. Just look at Dominick Reyes, who took a long layoff and came back rejuvenated. The question is, how long is Turner willing to stay away?

Anyway, Mr. White has seen it all – fighters who retire too soon, those who retire too late, and those who can’t seem to stay retired. While he didn’t oppose Turner’s decision, he had made one thing clear last year: some fighters need to step away for good. Following UFC 310, where veterans like Clay Guida, Anthony Smith, and Chris Weidman suffered brutal finishes, the head honcho was blunt. “They should all retire tonight,” he said at the post-fight press conference. The message was clear. There comes a point where the risks outweigh the rewards. And Turner, despite his young age, seemed to feel that he had reached that point.

But will time change his perspective? That remains to be seen. As of now, Turner has closed the door on his UFC career. But in MMA, doors never stay shut for too long. What do you think? Is Jalin Turner really done? Or will we see ‘The Tarantula’ crawl back into the octagon someday again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!