Jhonata Diniz Set for Octagon Debut Against Austen Lane at UFC Event on April 27

A heavyweight clash between two former Dana White’s Contender Series competitors has been added to a UFC Fight Night event scheduled for April 27.

Brazil’s Jhonata Diniz is set to make his first walk to the Octagon against Florida native Austen Lane. The news was first announced by Diniz’s management company, All In Sports, on social media.

Undefeated in his professional mixed martial arts career, Diniz (6-0) is a former professional kickboxer who transitioned to the sport of MMA in May 2022. Over the course of his MMA journey, the Brazilian has displayed an incredible affinity for finishing fights early, recording six first-round finishes in as many outings. The 32-year-old most recently recorded a Round 1 technical knockout victory against Eduardo Neves in an appearance on the Contender Series in September to earn himself a UFC contract.

Meanwhile, Lane (12-4) is coming off a Round 1 KO loss to Justin Tafa at UFC 293 in a matchup that had to be rebooked after their initial meeting in June was declared a no contest due to an accidental eye poke by Lane. Prior to the loss to Tafa, Lane was on a six-fight winning streak that included a Round 1 TKO win over Richard Jacobi on the Contender Series in 2022.

The unnamed UFC Fight Night event on April 27 is set to take place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and will also feature a women's flyweight clash pitting Karine Silva against Ariane Lipski.