Former NFL DE Austen Lane set for UFC debut in Jacksonville

Former NFL defensive end Austen Lane is back in a familiar place for his UFC debut Saturday: Jacksonville (Fla.) for UFC on ABC: Emmett vs. Topuria.

UFC reporter Megan Olivi was on hand to tell his story. For Lane, a former Jaguar, it came full circle and he’ll fight on Saturday’s main card.

“This is a really great story,” Olivi said Saturday on SportsCenter. “He was actually drafted in the fifth round in 2010 by the Jacksonville Jaguars and his MMA journey and his football journey both began right here in Jacksonville. 

“It was his second year in the league and one of his defensive coordinators told everyone that they needed to get into an MMA or Boxing gym to really make sure they were working on their hands. So he did just that.” 

But once Lane got ahold of the MMA world, he was hooked.

“He found an MMA gym and he absolutely fell in love with the sport,” Olivi said. “He has been pro since 2017. He is 12-3, very impressive record, making his UFC debut here in the city that has really done so much for his athletic career. And he has a lot of great qualities. But he jokes saying, his best attributes are his athleticism and his speed, not necessarily things you see in the heavyweight division at all times here in the UFC. So he really believes that that would be a big benefit to him. A real full circle moment for him tonight.”

Lane is the latest former NFL player to try his hand at MMA. Controversial player Greg Hardy had a stint in the UFC following a quick pivot to mixed martial arts.

Former Alabama defender and national champion Eryk Anders is a UFC veteran at this point. Lane joins the crop of former football players in the cage.

Heck, former Tennessee player Ovince Saint Preux is a long standing UFC vet and former title challenger.

Lane is 12-3 in his MMA career and most recently fought on Dana White’s Contender Series in September. He defeated Richard Jacobi via TKO in the first round. It earned him a contract.

Lane is on a six-fight winning streak since his last loss March 6, 2020. 

Austen Lane ready for UFC debut

The former Jaguar fought in numerous regional promotions before getting a crack on the Contender Series.

Austen Lane was a fifth round draft pick out of Murray State by the Jaguars in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played for the team for three years.

He had stints with the Kansas City Chiefs (2013), Detroit Lions (2013) and Chicago Bears (2014).

A former First-Team All-American at Murray State, Lane transitioned to MMA in November of 2015 as an amateur.

As a member of the Class of 2006, Lane was not ranked according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He played his high school football at Iola (Wisc.) Scandinavia.

Speaking of Hardy, Lane actually fought him in 2018. It was his first appearance on the Contender Series and he lost the fight via TKO in 57 seconds of the first round.

It was the first career loss for Lane.

Hardy lost three in a row via knockout to end his UFC career back on March 5, 2022. He last fought in February in Bare Knuckle FC, losing via knockout in the second round.

As far as Lane’s next fight versus Tafa, the latter is a UFC veteran. He has six fights in the promotion since October 2019.

Tafa won his last two fights via knockout and looks for a third straight.