Austen Lane returns to motion at UFC London, the place he’ll debut in a brand new weight class.
The former NFL defensive finish is a longtime heavyweight and stands at a towering six foot six, which makes him one of many tallest fighters on the UFC roster interval. Now, he’s prepared for his popping out occasion at 205lbs. The transfer down in weight seemed formidable, however Lane set his sights on mild heavyweight after being pressured onto the sidelines final 12 months.
“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) advised Cageside Press in a latest interview.
While he was unable to transfer following surgical procedure, Lane famous 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 acquired himself a dietician, and consulted with the UFC PI, who warned him the drop might take a toll on him. That mentioned, forward of his UFC London combat with Iwo Baraniewski, he was forward of schedule on his weight reduction. “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 greatest problem, mentioned 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 really wasn’t that tough in spite of everything. “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,” acknowledged 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.
