Greg Hardy to fight ex-NFLer Austen Lane in pro MMA debut

Former defensive end Greg Hardy will make his professional MMA debut against another ex-NFL player.

Hardy will battle former Jacksonville Jaguars fifth-round pick Austen Lane on June 12 in a heavyweight bout on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series, as announced during the UFC 224 broadcast, via ESPN.

Hardy is 3-0 as an amateur fighter, including a 14-second knockout of Ryan Chester in February. All three of his amateur MMA victories have come via first-round knockout.

Lane, also a former defensive end who played for the Jaguars and Detroit Lions during his NFL career, is 4-0 as a professional MMA fighter.

However, he said the pair's pro football careers will have little impact on their upcoming bout.

"At the end of the day, when we go in the cage, we're just going to be two fighers," Lane said, via FloCombat.com. "I don't consider him former NFL player Greg Hardy, I consider him MMA fighter Greg Hardy and that's how I'm going to approach what he's bringing to the table."

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