UFC 293 results: Justin Tafa flattens Austen Lane after another eye poke scare

It was deja vu for Justin Tafa early at UFC 293, but this time he was able to continue and showcase his fight-finishing power.

On the main card of UFC 293 Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Tafa (7-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) stepped into the octagon to face NFL veteran Austen Lane (12-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) again, but unlike their first meeting, he would land a devastating punch, leading to a TKO at 1:22 of Round 1.

The pair first faced each other in June, but Tafa was poked in the eye just 29 seconds into the fight and was unable to continue. As a result, the fight was ruled a no contest.

This time, fight started off in a familiar manner from the first meeting, as Lane extended his hands and accidentally poked Tafa. Luckily, the poke wasn’t a bad, and the fight continued after a short pause.

But when the fight resumed, it wouldn’t last much longer.

Tafa pressed forward as Lane attempted to circle and find his own space to land a shot. Lane darted forward while offering a punch, but Tafa loaded up on a big left hand that caught Lane flush on the chin, sending him crashing to the canvas. After a few follow-up punches, referee Jim Perdios jumped in to stop the action, and it was time for Tafa to do his dance.

JUSTIN TAFA IN ROUND 1 #UFC293 pic.twitter.com/yDQesewG1y

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 10, 2023

The result marked three straight knockout victories for Tafa, as he continues to prove a dangerous finisher in the heavyweight division.

On the other side, Lane, a former Jacksonville Jaguar, walks away with a loss in what was officially his UFC debut.

Up-to-the-minute results of UFC 293 include:

• Justin Tafa def. Austen Lane via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:22
• Tyson Pedro def. Anton Turkalj via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:12
• Carlos Ulberg def. Da Woon Jung via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:49

• Chepe Mariscal def. Jack Jenkins via TKO (injury) – Round 2, 3:19
• Jamie Mullarkey def. John Makdessi via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Nasrat Haqparast def. Landon Quinones via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Charlie Radtke def. Blood Diamond via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
• Gabriel Miranda def. Shane Young via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 0:59
• Kevin Jousset def. Kiefer Crosbie via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:49

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