A former NFL player is getting set to embark on his new career path in a huge way.
Former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Austen Lane is one of the newest members of the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster after earning a contract with the organization last year. Now, he is getting ready to make his debut.
According to MMA Junkie’s Nolan King, Austen Lane is scheduled to fight Justin Tafa at UFC Jacksonville on June 24th.
Lane played college football at Murray State University and was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played for the Jaguars from 2010 to 2012, recording 66 tackles and three sacks during his tenure with the team.
After being released by the Jaguars, Lane had brief stints with several other NFL teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears. However, he was unable to establish himself as a consistent starter in the league and ultimately retired from football in 2015.
The last most notable NFL player to fight in the UFC was Greg Hardy, who had two fights for Dana White’s Contender Series and competed in Xtreme Fight Night before receiving a UFC contract.
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The 34-year-old had 10 fights in UFC from 2019 to ’22. He went 4-5 with one no-contest before his contract expired after a TKO loss to Sergey Spivak at UFC 272. It was his fifth consecutive loss. He lost each of his last three fights in UFC by knockout or TKO.
He ultimately signed a multi-fight contract with bare-knuckle fighting, but his first fight this year led to him being knocked out.
Hardy had a six-year NFL career from 2010 to ’15. He spent his first five seasons with the Panthers before joining the Dallas Cowboys in 2015.
Hopefully, things go a lot differently for Lane.
