Austen Lane Retires from MMA After Struggling in UFC Career

UFC heavyweight Austen Lane, who retired from the NFL to pursue an MMA career, has now retired from the sport of MMA. Lane's official athlete profile on the UFC website lists him as "not fighting," and according to MMA Junkie, he has quietly informed UFC officials that he decided to retire.

NFL Career

Before his MMA career, Lane was a lifelong football player, playing college football at Murray State University from 2006 to 2009. In 2010, he was drafted to the NFL in the 5th round by the Jacksonville Jaguars as a Defensive End.

During his time in the NFL, Lane played a total of 30 games. In addition to the aforementioned Jacksonville Jaguars, he also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, and finally the Chicago Bears until he retired from the sport in 2015.

MMA Career

After retiring from football, Lane competed in amateur MMA, amassing a 5-1 amateur record. He went pro in 2017 and even faced fellow NFL retiree Greg Hardy on Dana White's Contender Series.

He was eventually awarded a UFC contract in 2022 after a knockout performance over Richard Jacobi in his second appearance on Dana White's Contender Series.

UFC Career

Once Lane entered the UFC, he was immediately struggling. His debut fight resulted in a "no contest" due to Lane poking his opponent, Justin Tafa, in the eye. His second fight was a rematch against Tafa, in which he was brutally knocked out. He followed that performance with another knockout loss to Jhonata Diniz.

His sole win, a unanimous decision over Robelis Despaigne, was followed by three losses in a row, all by finish. He suffered a knockout loss to Mario Pinto and Iwo Baraniewski, as well as a submission loss to Vitor Petrino.

WELCOME TO HEAVYWEIGHT @VitorPetrino gets the first round sub at #UFCNashville! pic.twitter.com/y3AzPE7upF

— UFC (@ufc) July 13, 2025

During his tenure with the UFC, Lane had one win in the UFC out of seven fights. He retires with an overall MMA record of 13 wins, 8 losses, and 1 no contest.

Lane has remained silent on his social media since retirement, and whether or not he intends to return to any combat sports competition remains to be seen.

Lately, the now-retired UFC fighter has been involved in broadcasting, co-hosting sports radio shows "Brent & Austen" with Brent Martineau on Action Sports Jax, and the Jaguars Happy Hour on the official Jacksonville Jaguars YouTube channel.

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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 3:48 AM.