Former NFL player Austen Lane's UFC debut ends 30 seconds into first round
NFL alum Austen Lane stepped into the octagon on Saturday night, ready to shock the world. He succeeded, but not in the way he hoped.
Lane’s UFC debut lasted 29 seconds, but not because of a highlight knockout against opponent Justin Tafa. Instead, the former defensive end accidentally jabbed his finger into Tafa’s eye in an early exchange.
Doctors immediately checked on Tafa following the ugly accident. The 29-year-old UFC fighter said he could not see from the injured eye. The fight was ruled a no contest. Tafa was not happy with the ruling.
“I deserve my win bonus that’s a DQ man,” Tafa wrote on Twitter.
Lane has had a successful mixed martial arts career despite a disappointing outcome in his UFC debut. The heavyweight brawler is 12-3 in his combat career. Even before turning his eyes toward the fight game, Lane wasn’t a stranger to violence.
In his four-year NFL career, Lane recorded 47 solo tackles and three sacks. Lane began his career in Jacksonville after the Jaguars drafted the Murray State star with the 153rd overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft.
After two years, the organization dropped Lane. The Wisconsin native drifted from team to team, hoping to find a home, but ultimately retired from football in 2015. Lane began his MMA career just months after his retirement announcement.
Lane isn’t the only former NFL player who’s tried their hand in the octagon. Former defensive end Greg Hardy has also found success in the MMA world. The two actually met in Hardy’s professional debut on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018.
Hardy knocked Lane out just 55 seconds into the bout with a crushing overhand right. Lane returned to the show in 2022 and defeated his opponent to gain a UFC contract. Unfortunately, that contract wasn’t put to good use in Lane’s first fight.
After the no contest on Saturday, the 35-year-old fighter apologized to Tafa on Twitter.
“Justin Tafa… I apologize. Not how I wanted it to go down. That shit is on me and I hope your eye is alright. To the city I call home. The energy you gave me as I was walking out will be something I’ll remember the rest of my life. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you [a] show,” Lane wrote.