Born in San Bernardino, California, Turner attended Summit High School, where he was unable to play most organized team sports due to multiple injuries. Having the most talent in wrestling, Turner took up the sport during the pre-season of his sophomore year, but was unable to compete that season due to a broken finger. Frustrated by the recurring injuries, he started watching MMA bouts on television, which inspired him to take up practicing the sport. Growing up, Turner was arachnophobic, and to overcome that fear, he began to collect tarantulas as pets. When he made his UFC debut, he had 200 of them, earning his ring nickname “The Tarantula”. At UFC Vegas 10 Turner had his official weight taken while holding a tarantula in his left hand. This Homegrown, SoCal lightweight scored a win inside the UFC cage before running away with a 1st round TKO in Dana White's Contender Series. Since then, he has amassed many wins and has improved his record with the organization as well as earned the Performance of The Night honors.