Former Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy will soon have his first professional MMA fight. Facing him on the other side of the Octagon will be someone with a very familiar background. That’s because Hardy will be facing another former NFL player.

On a UFC Fight Night scheduled for June 12th, Hardy will face Austen Lane. Interestingly, Lane, like Hardy, was a defensive end in his NFL days. Lane was a fifth-round pick of the Jaguars in 2010, amassing three career sacks and 47 tackles before finishing his career with the Bears in 2014.

According to Pro Football Talk, “In three amateur mixed martial arts fights, Hardy has taken on three over-matched opponents and won easily. In Lane, Hardy is finally fighting someone his own size: Lane was listed at 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds in the NFL, and Lane has knocked out two opponents in pro MMA fights, needing just 14 seconds to win his first fight and 20 seconds to win his second.”

While the UFC pitting Hardy against another former NFL player might seem a disappointment to those who would rather see him face a true, MMA fighter. The move makes sense considering that Dana White probably wants to give Hardy a chance to develop in the sport, as opposed to putting him in a position where he’s over-matched right from the outset.

Though, given Hardy’s past, there are plenty of people who would like to see him over-matched.

Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn