Former Jaguars defensive end Austen Lane returned to action in Duval on Saturday, but in a very different way.
Austen Lane, a former NFL defensive end who spent time with the Jaguars, Chiefs, Lions, and Bears, had his first fight in the UFC and it did not end in the way that he had hoped. He did not win, but he also did not lose.
The former Jaguar defensive end inadvertently poked opponent Justin Tafa in the eyes 29 seconds into their main card bout. His fingers appeared to go in both eyes of Tafa and they look like they suffered significant damage.
When the foul happened, referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in and called timeout. Lane was warned and Tafa was allotted five minutes to recover.
Blood appeared in the eye area. For more than three minutes, a doctor and Miragliotta looked at Tafa, who repeatedly said he couldn’t see out of his right eye.
Since the foul was deemed an accident, Miragliotta ruled the fight a no-contest.
