Austen Lane returns to action at UFC London, where he’ll debut in a new weight class.
The former NFL defensive end is a longtime heavyweight and stands at a towering six foot six, which makes him one of the tallest fighters on the UFC roster period. Now, he’s ready for his coming out party at 205lbs. The move down in weight looked formidable, but Lane set his sights on light heavyweight after being forced onto the sidelines last year.
“The idea came from, I had to have a surgery after my last fight after Vitor Petrino. Had my surgery, I was on the shelf a little bit, and just kind of knowing how I operate and knowing how my life is, I’ve got to always be working towards something. I’ve got to always be chasing something,” Lane (13-7, 1NC) told Cageside Press in a recent interview.
While he was unable to move following surgery, Lane noted that he was “left to some different devices. And one of those was, ‘hey, can I push myself a little bit to see if I can drop down to 205?'”
Lane got himself a dietician, and consulted with the UFC PI, who warned him the drop could take a toll on him. That said, ahead of his UFC London fight with Iwo Baraniewski, he was ahead of schedule on his weight loss. “It’s all about discipline, right, it’s all about staying at it. I think being a former professional football player has kind of helped me through that, because I know what discipline is all about, and the hard work. Honestly man, it’s been a pretty easy transition.”
The biggest challenge, said Lane, was getting the UFC on board. “When I have my mind set to something, that’s just the way it’s going to be. I think the biggest part was getting the UFC’s approval with it, and kind of brining their team on and making sure my body could handle it. And that involved going to the UFC PI and doing a bunch of tests, and I think the overall synopsis was it’s possible, but it’s not going to be easy.”
Turns out, it actually wasn’t that difficult after all. “Well I’m sitting here a couple weeks before the fight, and I’m telling you, it’s really not that hard when you stay disciplined,” stated Lane. “And by the way, this is the best I’ve ever felt during a fight camp, and my body’s responding really well.”
Watch our full interview with UFC London’s Austen Lane above.
