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Living up to his nickname: UFC 229 newcomer Jalin Turner once owned ‘upwards of 200’ tarantulas

LAS VEGAS — At a glance, it’s easy to take a guess how Jalin Turner earned his in-cage nickname, “The Tarantula.”

The 23-year-old Contender Series alum stands at a long and spindly 6-foot-3, a size especially interminable for the lightweight class in which he usually plies his trade. Not only that, but the dark, braided hair that tumbles from the top of his head very much resembles the legs of an arachnid, giving further cause to his namesake.

But in actuality, that’s overthinking things. The real answer as to how Turner first earned his “Tarantula” moniker is much simpler — and in a curious way, much more unique.