Preview: UFC on ABC 5 ‘Emmett vs. Topuria’

Heavyweights

Justin Tafa (6-3, 3-3 UFC) vs. Austen Lane (12-3, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: Tafa (-175), Lane (+150)

Lane’s UFC debut is a fun side story as part of the promotion’s return to Jacksonville. A former NFL defensive end, Lane found his most success during his three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team that drafted him in 2010. Once football was in the rearview mirror, Lane pivoted to mixed martial arts and became a solid prospect. His situation was rocky at first—it included a 57-knockout loss to fellow NFL vet Greg Hardy—but Lane eventually found his footing and strung together six wins, culminating in a contract-earning victory on Dana White’s Contender Series in September. However, Lane gets a bit of a tough ask in his long-awaited UFC debut, drawing Tafa, who finally seems to be figuring some things out. Australia’s Tafa was signed just three fights into his pro career back in 2019, and he has already gone through a few phases as a result. Initially a wildly aggressive knockout artist, Tafa eventually overcompensated and grew too patient for his own good before finding more of a balance in his last few fights. Tafa still does not string together much activity, but he picks his spots and hits like a truck. Harry Hunsucker got knocked out by a Tafa head kick that he had seemingly blocked, and Parker Porter ate an impressively well-timed counter for a quick knockout in February. There are some bright spots for Lane. Tafa is unlikely to take advantage of Lane’s subpar defensive wrestling, and the UFC newcomer has more diversity to his approach. Nevertheless, everything seems to point to Lane walking into a knockout at some point, probably sooner rather than later. The pick is Tafa via first-round knockout.

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Emmett vs. Topuria
Ribas vs. Barber
Tafa vs. Lane
Santos vs. Onama
Allen vs. Silva
The Prelims