The NFL will meet mixed martial arts Tuesday. Former football players Greg Hardy and Austen Lane will square off in the featured fight in Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series on June 12. Below, check out a full fight preview.
Hardy last played in the league with the Dallas Cowboys in 2015. He is undefeated in his MMA career (3-0), scoring first-round knockouts in every fight, although all of the bouts have come at the amateur level.
Lane last played in 2014 with the Chicago Bears. He is 2-0 as a professional MMA fighter.
The UFC is not associated with White’s Contender Series. In this series, fighters display their fighting acumen in hopes of being signed to a league contract.
Hardy had a troubled career in the NFL. A sixth-round pick in 2010, he blossomed into a Pro Bowler with the Carolina Panthers in 2013. He was a second-team All-Pro that year.
But two years later, he was out of the league. Hardy signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys in March 2015. Dallas expected the right defensive end, known for his sack prowess, to be a defensive difference-maker.
Fans widely criticized the Cowboys for the transaction. A domestic violence case had ruined Hardy’s public image. Carolina opted not to bring back the talented pass rusher. Team owner Jerry Richardson said on his franchise “we do the right things.”
One month after Hardy signed with Dallas, the NFL suspended him for the first 10 games of the 2015 season. In July, seeking to avoid legal action from Hardy, the NFL reduced the suspension to four games.
Hardy had two sacks of Tom Brady in his first game back from the suspension, but he struggled to keep up that pace over the remainder of the season. He finished the 2015 season with six sacks. Coach Jason Garrett made it clear he was not a fan of Hardy’s behavior throughout the season, and Dallas opted against bringing him back.
He began his amateur MMA career in Nov. 2017. Many have speculated, because of his high profile and polarizing status, he will one day rise to the highest level of MMA in the UFC.
White on Greg Hardy: Everyone deserves a second shot #UFC225
— Mike Allardyce (@mikedyce) June 10, 2018
Greg Hardy Austen Lane Odds
BetDSI.eu is offering props and odds for Tuesday’s fight, with betting options ranging from the length of the fight to its winner to whether Hardy will be arrested or be added to a UFC card in 2018.
Check out all the lines below.
Winner
Greg Hardy +135
Austen Lane -165
Total Rounds
Over 1.5 +180
Under 1.5 -260
Hardy vs. Lane Fight Outcome
Fight Goes To Decision (+450)
Fight Ends By KO/TKO or DQ (-550)
Ends By Submission (+350)
Declared A No Contest (+1000)
Hardy vs. Lane Fight Distance
Hardy Wins Inside The Distance (+145)
Hardy Wins By Decision (+525)
Lane Wins Inside The Distance (-160)
Lane Wins By Decision (+475)
Will either fighter win by first-round knockout?
Yes -245
No +175
Will Greg Hardy be added to a UFC event card in 2018?
Yes -105
No -135
Will Austen Lane be added to a UFC event card in 2018?
Yes -135
No -105
Will Greg Hardy be arrested in 2018?
Yes +1200
No -2500
