Two exciting ranked lightweights, Jalin “The Tarantula” Turner and Renato “Money” Moicano, are set to collide at UFC 300.
Both fighters are renowned for their aggressive styles and relentless in-cage determination, promising an electrifying showdown. Turner, known for his devastating striking, will look to overpower his opponent with a flurry of punches and kicks. Moicano, on the other hand, boasts a well-rounded skillset with a dangerous ground game that could very well lead the fight to the mat. With contrasting strengths and a guaranteed commitment to victory, this lightweight matchup is sure to leave fans on the edge of their seats.
Betting Odds
The younger, higher-ranked Jalin Turner is coming in at a -230 favorite over Renato Moicano.
Breakdown
Turner, a southpaw with a towering 78-inch reach, is a nightmare for opponents on the feet. He utilizes a sharp jab to control distance and sets up powerful combinations with kicks and punches. His wrestling is decent enough to avoid takedowns, but his true threat lies in his ability to knock out opponents with a single, well-placed, sniper-like strike.
While he has traits of eliteness in his game accompanied by a borderline unbelievable physical makeup for the 155-pound division, the less-than-stellar 14-7 record raises some concerns. But, when you dive into the record, you quickly see that the vast majority of losses came early in his career, and then, the two most recent defeats came via split decision loss.
In those recent, close losses, Turner looked good, but the pace and in-face pressure by his opponents caused him some trouble. So, in this fight, Turner will need to do a better job of maintaining his desired distance and pace of fight, if he can do so, he has all the attributes needed to secure a victory and set his eyes on the top of the division.
Playing a spoiler to a dangerous prospect is something Moicano is more than comfortable doing. He is comfortable in this regard given his expansive UFC experience, taking place in both the featherweight and lightweight divisions. Further, his elite Jiu-Jitsu parlayed with sound striking makes him a well-rounded fighter who is quite skilled at exploiting his opponent’s weaknesses.
The ability to exploit the gaps of his opponent stems from Moicano’s intellect. “Money” Moicano has not only learned English and can speak it quite well but has also quickly grasped the importance of marketing himself to up the salary earned in his fight game. While finances have little to no impact on the actual fight once the cage door closes, it is important to note that Moicano is extremely focused, has well-rounded skills, and is exceptionally intelligent backed by a great team at ATT.
While many things go in the favor of Moicano when it comes to fighting, he does have some flaws. Notably, he is somewhat of a “tweener” when it comes to his natural size, and in this fight, he will be giving up a significant physical difference. Further, Moicano can be outpointed on the feet albeit he is a sound striker, and, if he looks to grapple, while his grappling is solid, it is not the elite of the elite. So, if he finds the length of Turner difficult to bypass on the feet and if he cannot maintain in-the-face pressure due to the power threat of his opponent, he may find it difficult to progress his way to a takedown given an out-of-range shot will not prove successful over the underrated wrestling of Turner.
Prediction
The fight hinges on where it takes place. If Turner can keep the fight standing at a range suited to his game and utilize his reach and striking advantage, he could overwhelm Moicano. However, if Moicano manages to get in close and drag the fight to the ground, his superior grappling skills could lead to a submission victory or dominant control throughout the fight.
While I am a fan of Moicano, both in terms of fight game and overall intellect, the matchup is quite difficult here given the sheer size of Turner parlayed with elite power and sound wrestling. Because of the power and length, I do not believe Moicano will be willing to stay in Turner’s face, and because getting inside will be difficult, I am not confident in Moicano’s ability to get this to the mat. As such, I am backing Turner here, and while Moicano is extremely tough, I am taking Turner by KO due to his elite power and precision of strikes.
Bet: Turner by KO (-135 at BetUS)