Austen Lane issues apology to Justin Tafa for fight-ending eye poke at UFC Jacksonville

Former NFL player turned MMA heavyweight Austen Lane is apologizing for how his UFC Jacksonville bout ended.

Austen Lane went one-0n-one with Justin Tafa on the main card of UFC Jacksonville this past Saturday (June 24). This was Lane’s UFC debut. Things went south in a hurry, as Austen Lane caught Justin Tafa with a nasty accidental eye poke.

With blood trickling out of his eye and the damage that had been done, it was obvious that Justin Tafa wouldn’t be able to continue. This one ended in a no contest at the 29-second mark of round one.

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Austen Lane Speaks Out

Austen Lane has taken to his Twitter account to apologize for the way the bout ended.

Justin Tafa… I apologize. Not how I wanted it to go down. That shit is on me and I hope your eye is alright.

To the city I call home. The energy you gave me as I was walking out will be something I’ll remember the rest of my life. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you show.

— Austen Lane (@A_Train_92) June 24, 2023

“Justin Tafa… I apologize. Not how I wanted it to go down. That shit is on me and I hope your eye is alright. To the city I call home. The energy you gave me as I was walking out will be something I’ll remember the rest of my life. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you show.”

Before Lane offered his apology, Tafa expressed his belief that he should’ve been awarded a disqualification victory. It was an unfortunate way to end the heavyweight collision inside the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

Time will tell if the UFC tries to rebook this matchup or move on. This was a big chance for Lane, a former Jacksonville Jaguars player, to shine in front of a favorable crowd. It wasn’t meant to be on this night.

As for Tafa, he’ll obviously be focused on healing his eye before returning to the Octagon. Justin Tafa had a chance to extend his winning streak to three, but of course, the bout was never able to pick up. We’ll keep you posted with the latest on Justin Tafa’s eye injury once more details roll in.