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UFC Jacksonville: Josh Emmett vs. Ilia Topuria keeps it moving on the main card with a fight in the heavyweight division between Austen Lane and Justin Tafa. Lane will be making his promotional debut after winning his fight on Dana White's Contender Series meanwhile, Justin Tafa is coming off back-to-back knockout wins. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Lane-Tafa prediction and pick.
Austen Lane (12-3) is a former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end that turned mixed martial artist. He is a towering heavyweight contender that has knockout power as he has showcased in 11 of his 12 wins. He will be making his UFC debut against his toughest adversary to date Justin Tafa this weekend at UFC Jacksonville.
Justin Tafa (6-3) is a former rugby player who turned to kickboxing before making mixed martial arts his full-time gig. Combat sports have been in his family his whole life as his grandfather was a national boxing champion and his brother Junior Tafa is a current UFC heavyweight alongside him. Tafa is coming off back-to-back wins for the first time in his UFC career and will be looking to make it three in a row come this Saturday at UFC Jacksonville.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Jacksonville Odds: Austen Lane-Justin Tafa Odds
Austen Lane: +146
Justin Tafa: -180
Over 1.5 Rounds: +172
Under 1.5 Round: -220
How to Watch Austin Lane vs. Justin Tafa
TV: ABC
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET/ 12:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)
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Why Austen Lane Will Win
It took two tries but Austen Lane finally got the contract that he deserved after his second stint on the Contender Series. He knocked out Richard Jacobi in the first round which solidified his roster spot in the UFC. He was scheduled to fight Justin Tafa's brother Junior Tafa but he had to withdraw due to injury.
Fast forward four months later, Lane now gets to make his promotional debut against another Tafa brother in a familiar city where he used to play professional football for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Lane is large for the division and has one-punch knockout power which will have to come in handy against another power puncher like Justin Tafa.
Why Justin Tafa Will Win
Justin Tafa is a rising star in the heavyweight division. He has a professional record of 6-3 and is known for his knockout power. Tafa has won all of his fights by knockout, which shows that he has the ability to end fights quickly. He is also a very aggressive fighter, which can be intimidating for his opponents.
In this matchup, he gets to go up against Austen Lane who is basically a kill-or-be-killed type of fighter. Lane has never seen the judge's scorecards win or lose and that is what is expected here come Saturday night. If Tafa can land on the chin of Lane before he gets touched up it could be his third knockout in a row coming up.
Final Austen Lane-Justin Tafa Prediction & Pick
This fight is going to be a battle between two heavy hitters. Both fighters have the power to end the fight with one punch, so it's going to be interesting to see who lands the first big shot. Lane will need to use his footwork to avoid getting caught by Tafa's power shots but that is easier said than done. Ultimately, Tafa will throw some heavy calf kicks early to set up the overhand bomb of a right that is going to put Austen Lane's lights out.
Final Austen Lane-Justin Tafa Prediction & Pick: Justin Tafa (-180)
