Tag: Austen Lane

Vitor Petrino elevates to UFC heavyweight division, faces Austen Lane in Nashville

After a two-fight skid, Vitor Petrino is headed up to heavyweight to face a former NFLer.

[autotag]Vitor Petrino[/autotag] is headed up in the world, but will [autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag] knock him down?

In a heavyweight bout at a UFC Fight Night event July 12 expected for Nasvhille, Tenn., Petrino (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) makes his divisional debut vs. Lane (13-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC) in a three-round bout.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Petrino signed with the UFC off Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022 and then rattled off four wins in a row. However, back-to-back finish defeats to Anthony Smith and Dustin Jacoby have him switching things up.

A former NFL player, Lane has brought the violence win or lose over the course of his career thus far. Through five UFC appearances, however, he has three losses, one win, and one no contest – meaning he’ll be hungry for another victory in Nashville.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for July 12 includes:

  • Eduarda Moura vs. Lauren Murphy
  • Fatima Kline vs. Melissa Martinez
  • Austen Lane vs. Vitor Petrino

Emotional Austen Lane dedicates first UFC win to son

Austen Lane got his first UFC win against Robelis Despaigne – and was the third biggest underdog on the card.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag] beat Robelis Despaigne with a unanimous decision Saturday to open the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 245 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Lane, who got his first UFC win – and was the third biggest underdog on the card.

Austen Lane def. Robelis Despaigne

Austen Lane

Result: Austen Lane def. Robelis Despaigne via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Lane (13-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC), Despaigne (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Key stats: Lane had three takedowns and nearly 9 minutes of control time.

Lane on the fight’s key moment

Austen Lane def. Robelis Despaigne, UFC Fight Night 245 (via UFC)

“This was a long time coming – definitely an emotional experience. The first couple of fights haven’t gone my way, but I think I found the right formula. I think I found the right team and I found the right routine to put me in a flow state and get that win.

“It’s funny: I was actually going to go to (American Top Team), and my opponent went there (to train), so I couldn’t go there. I go to Xtreme Couture, and Eric (Nicksick) and everybody open their doors to me, and I couldn’t be happier there. There’s a bunch of killers in there.”

Lane on his son at the fight

“It’s definitely been a long journey. Everyone’s been through a lot, right? But I’ve been through a lot the past couple of years, and a lot of that, I felt like, carried over to my fighting a little bit – which I never intended it to. It’s mental sometimes. So (winning) meant everything. I had my son in attendance. This is my first time my son’s ever seen me fight. He spent the whole week with me, and talking about that right combination, that right formula – that’s what I needed. I needed him here. He’s always been my biggest support system.”

Lane on what he wants next

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 19: (R-L) Austen Lane and Robelis Despaigne of Cuba trade kicks in a heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 19, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

“I’m not meant to really sit around. I don’t like sitting around. When you sit around, your mind starts to wander and everything. I’m just the guy that’s always back in the gym, always pushing forward, always keeping moving. … You can play football, you can play basketball, you can play baseball – but you can’t play fighting because this is a lifestyle, and this and this has to be a lifestyle. That’s what I’ve made it. So as soon as I’m back in Jacksonville, I’m back training.”

To hear more from Lane, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.

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UFC Fight Night 245 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Darren Elkins’ $21,000 leads card

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program has now paid out more than $29 million to athletes since its deal began with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 245 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $155,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 245 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 245 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Charles Johnson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Su Mudaerji[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cameron Smotherman[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Daniel Pineda[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Asu Almabayev[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jean Matsumoto[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brad Katona[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Joselyne Edwards[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Elise Reed[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jessica Penne[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Melissa Martinez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Alice Ardelean[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2451 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,644,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $29,381,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.

Robelis Despaigne returns from first UFC defeat, battles Austen Lane

Let’s see what American Top Team has done for Robelis Despaigne’s ground game.

[autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag] has the opportunity to bounce back into the win column after his first career loss.

A Cuban taekwondo Olympian, Despaigne (5-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will return Oct. 19 vs. former NFL player [autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) in a three-round heavyweight bout. The event does not currently have a publicly known location or venue.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Despaigne, 35, has moved to American Top Team for this camp, to work with wrestling coach Steve Mocco on his ground game. Despaigne severely struggled on the ground in his unanimous decision loss to Waldo Cortes-Acosta in May, and was unable to get up off his back when taken down. The defeat came two months after Despaigne successfully debuted with an 18-second TKO of Josh Parisian.

Lane, 36, seeks his first UFC win in his fourth attempt. Since a no contest due to a gnarly eye poke in his promotional debut vs. Justin Tafa, Lane has lost back-to-back fights by knockout. The two-time DWCS alum is a former NFL defensive end, who played in 30 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2010 to 2012.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-A6D2QuUUY/

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Oct. 19 includes:

  • Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira
  • Asu Almabayev vs. Matheus Nicolau
  • Robelis Despaigne vs. Austen Lane

UFC on ESPN 55 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $25 million

UFC on ESPN 55 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 55 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $175,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 55 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 55 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Bogdan Guskov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Karine Silva[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Ariane Da Silva[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]David Onama[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Uros Medic[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Rani Yahya[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michal Figlak[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Caio Machado[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ketlen Souza[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Marnic Mann[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Chris Padilla[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]James Llontop[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ivana Petrovic[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Na Liang[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Hayisaer Maheshate[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Gabriel Benitez[/autotag]: $11,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,550; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $55,000 while title challengers get $55,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-55 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $2,640,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $25,377,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

UFC on ESPN 55 video: Jhonata Diniz freezes Austen Lane with KO combination

Former Glory kickboxer Jhonata Diniz finished former NFL player Austen Lane with punches in Round 2 of their UFC bout.

[autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag] has a striking background, and it was on full display again Saturday at UFC on ESPN 55.

On the main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Diniz (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) froze and face-planted former NFL player [autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) for a knockout stoppage at 2:12 of Round 2.

Diniz, 32, is a former Glory kickboxer who earned his UFC shot through a first-round knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023. He maintains his 100 percent TKO rate and unblemished professional record.

Lane, 36, has lost back-to-back fights. With a no contest also under the UFC banner, Lane has yet to notch his first promotional win through three appearances.

The up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 55 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

Jhonata Diniz vs. Austen Lane prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 55

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom takes a quick look at the UFC on ESPN 55 bout between Jhonata Diniz and Austen Lane.

[autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag] and [autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag] meet Saturday on the UFC on ESPN 55 main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

Jhonata Diniz vs. Austen Lane UFC on ESPN 55 preview

Diniz (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Lane (12-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) serve as the lone heavyweight bout on the UFC on ESPN 55 main card. … The undefeated Diniz makes his UFC debut following a first-round finish of Eduardo Neves in his Dana White’s Contender Series appearance in September. … Lane, a fellow DWCS veteran, steps into the octagon for the third time, looking for his first victory. His debut against Justin Tafa was ruled a no contest due to an eye poke, and Lane went on to lose the rebooking less than three months later.

Jhonata Diniz vs. Austen Lane expert pick, prediction

Last event’s results: 4-1

Overall picks for UFC main cards in 2024: 28-29-2

Death, taxes, and the current UFC matchmakers force-feeding us low-level heavyweights on Fight Night main cards.

Despite having solid bangers like Gabriel Benitez vs. Hayisaer Maheshate serving as the curtain-jerker on the prelims, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby seem to be continuing their trend of sullying Joe Silva’s memory with main-card bookings like Diniz and Lane (a fight that would’ve served as a dark match if the diminutive former matchmaker were still in charge).

Given the cult-like status that professional football holds in the North American sports space, I’m guessing that Lane is continually getting featured fights for the cup of coffee he had in the NFL.

Don’t get me wrong: Lane is a talented athlete and seems like a nice guy; I just find it funny that – at least promotionally – we keep treating former football players as some sort of ‘great white hope’ in MMA despite Brendan Schaub arguably being the best of that crop. But I digress.

I’m actually hoping that Lane has continued to improve and can extend this fight into deeper rounds in order to see more from both men. However, it’s hard not to give a decent edge to the former kickboxer in Diniz on the feet.

I definitely wouldn’t mind being wrong, but I’ll pick Diniz by first-round knockout.

Jhonata Diniz vs. Austen Lane odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Brazilian fighter this weekend, listing Diniz -265 and Lane +200 via FanDuel.

Jhonata Diniz vs. Austen Lane start time, how to watch

As the third fight on the main card, Diniz and Lane are expected to make their walk to the octagon around 8:20 p.m. ET (5:20 p.m. local time in Las Vegas). The fight airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

For more detailed analysis from Dan Tom, check out his weekly show, “The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.”

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Jan. 29-Feb. 4)

Check out the UFC, PFL, and Bellator fights that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC, PFL, and Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Jan. 29-Feb. 4.

UFC 293 post-event facts: Sean Strickland starts a new era at 185 pounds

The best facts to come out of UFC 293, which saw Sean Strickland force a changing of the guard with his title win over Israel Adesanya.

The UFC’s return to Sydney after nearly six years produced one of the most shocking main event results of the year as the middleweight title changed hands at Qudos Bank Arena.

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) closed out UFC 293 with a massive unanimous decision upset of [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) to take the belt and force a reset at the top of the middleweight rankings.

For more on the numbers from the title bout, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 293.

* * * *

UFC 293 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Sean Strickland gets $32,000 for title win

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 293 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $209,000.

SYDNEY – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 293 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $209,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 293 took place at Qudos Bank Arena in Australia. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 293 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Felipe dos Santos[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Justin Tafa[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Tyson Pedro[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Anton Turkalj[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Carlos Ulberg[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Da Woon Jung[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Chepe Mariscal[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jack Jenkins[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jamie Mullarkey[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]John Makdessi[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Landon Quinones[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Charlie Radtke[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Blood Diamond[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Gabriel Miranda[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Shane Young[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Kevin Jousset[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kiefer Crosbie[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,944,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $20,533,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293.