From Football To Fighting – UFC Fighters Who Played NFL And College Football

Austen Lane was a stalwart on the defensive line long before he ever stepped foot into the Octagon. After an all-American college career at Murray State in Kentucky, Lane spent five seasons in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears from 2010 through 2014, recording 66 tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble. Lane fights out of Jacksonville, the city where he played three NFL seasons and in which he will make his UFC debut.

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Zac Pauga

Colorado State University, Houston Texans - Fullback

Zac Pauga’s sporting background is as diverse as any fighter in the UFC. Pauga played fullback at Colorado State University before signing with the NFL’s Houston Texans in 2011. After being released by the team, Pauga went on to play professional rugby prior to pursuing a career in mixed martial arts. Pauga holds a 1-2 record in UFC, most recently losing to Modestas Bukauskas by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs. Cannonier.

Dominick Reyes

Stony Brook University - Defensive Back

Dominick Reyes, who is currently 12-4 as a professional MMA fighter, didn't jump right into the world of mixed martial arts growing up. In college, Reyes played football for Stony Brook University (2009-2013) in New York. Reyes started 47 games, recorded five interceptions, and became team captain as a defensive back for the Seawolves.

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Eryk Anders

University Of Alabama - Linebacker

UFC middleweight and light heavyweight Eryk Anders has made waves in UFC with his power and his heart, something that he put on display from 2006 to 2009 as a linebacker at the University of Alabama. Anders started 14 games in his senior season including the 2009 BCS National Championship game. Anders and the Crimson Tide would go on to defeat the Texas Longhorns 37-21 and win head coach Nick Saban’s first championship for the school. Anders led the team with seven tackles and forced a fumble in that game.

Anders would make his professional MMA debut in 2015 before fighting his way to UFC in 2017. He has gone 7-8 with one no contest in 16 UFC bouts, most recently losing by unanimous decision to Marc-André Barriault at UFC 289.

Gian Villante

Hofstra University - Middle Linebacker

New York's Gian Villante attended MacArthur High School, where he was a highly sought after football player, receiving interest from Division I schools such as Penn State and Michigan State. Villante stayed home and committed to Hofstra University, where he would go on to start at middle linebacker and was named a 2004 1st Team Defensive I-AA All-American. Four years after finishing school at Hofstra, Villante made his professional MMA debut. He ended his career in 2021 after compiling 31 professional fights, 23 of which were under the Strikeforce/UFC banner.

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Greg Hardy

University Of Mississippi, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys - Defensive End

It's no secret that Greg Hardy is a freak athlete. He showed that incredible athleticism at the University of Mississippi, where he was selected as first-team All-SEC in 2007 and eventually drafted in the sixth round of the 2009 draft by the Carolina Panthers. It was in the NFL that Hardy would truly leave his mark, racking up over 200 tackles, 40 sacks, and three forced turnovers in six NFL seasons with the Panthers and Dallas Cowboys. In 2018, Hardy would be awarded a contract on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series.

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Hardy went on to fight ten times in UFC, going 4-5 with one no contest.

Ovince Saint Preux

University Of Tennessee - Defensive End And Linebacker

Ovince Saint Preux might be best known for his Von Flue choke, but before he was submitting fighters in UFC, he was keeping SEC offenses out of the end zone. OSP played for Tennessee from 2001 to 2004, appearing in seventeen games during his time with the Vols.

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Matt Mitrione

Purdue University, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings - Defensive Tackle

Heavyweight Matt Mitrione made waves on the gridiron before he joined UFC in 2009. Mitrione was a standout defensive lineman under head coach Joe Tiller at Purdue University from 1998 through 2001, starting 35 consecutive games for the Boilermakers and helping the team reach the Rose Bowl Game in the 2000-01 season alongside quarterback Drew Brees.

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After going undrafted at the 2002 NFL Draft, Mitrione signed with the New York Giants as a free agent, later joining the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings. In UFC, Mitrione compiled a 9-5 record across 14 bouts between 2009 and 2016 and competed on season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter.