Tyson Pedro

Tyson Pedro
Tyson Pedro at UFC 234
Born (1991-09-17) 17 September 1991 (age 33)[1]
Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st)
DivisionLight heavyweight
Reach79 in (201 cm)
Fighting out ofSydney, Australia
TeamCity Kickboxing
RankBlack belt in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu[2]
Black belt in Kempo[2]
Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[3][2]
Years active2013–2024
Mixed martial arts record
Total15
Wins10
By knockout5
By submission5
Losses5
By knockout1
By submission1
By decision3
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Tyson Pedro (born 17 September 1991) is an Australian former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Background

Pedro is an Australian of Spanish and American Samoan heritage.[4][5] He played junior rugby league for St Dominic's College as a teenager but gave the sport away to focus on martial arts.[6] Pedro is the son of John Pedro, who owned King of the Cage in Australia[7] and was one of exponent MMA and fighters fought in the first cage fight in Australia.[8][9] With seven black belts of different combat sport style, Pedro was introduced to Japanese jiu-jitsu at the age of 4. From jujutsu, he progressed to boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu before eventually fighting MMA.[10]

Mixed martial arts career

After winning over Kiwi Steven Warby at Australian Fighting Championship 17 via rear-naked choke, Pedro called UFC president Dana White and personally asked him to fight at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson in Melbourne, should any fighters pull out from the event. He was added to the card after Luke Rockhold withdrew from the event due to a sprained anterior cruciate ligament.[11][12]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Pedro made his promotional debut against Khalil Rountree on November 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson. He won the fight via submission in round 1, for which he was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus.[13]

Pedro faced Paul Craig on March 4, 2017, at UFC 209.[14] He won the fight via first round TKO.[15]

Pedro fought Ilir Latifi on September 9, 2017, at UFC 215.[16] Latifi won the fight via unanimous decision, handing Pedro his first professional loss.[17]

Pedro faced Saparbek Safarov on February 11, 2018, at UFC 221.[18] He won the fight via submission due to a kimura in the first round.

Pedro faced Ovince Saint Preux on June 23, 2018, at UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Edwards.[19] He lost the fight via submission in the first round.[20]

On August 10, 2018, it was revealed that Pedro had signed a new, six-fight contract with the UFC.[21]

Pedro faced Maurício Rua on December 2, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 142.[22] Rua defeated Pedro via technical knockout in round three, finishing Pedro after he suffered a leg injury and was unable to defend himself.[23][24]

Pedro was sidelined for all of 2019 as he recovered from knee reconstruction surgery.[25]

Pedro was scheduled to face Vinicius Moreira on February 23, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. Hooker.[26] However, Pedro pulled out of the fight in early January citing an undisclosed injury.[27]

After a three-year absence from fighting, Pedro returned to face Ike Villanueva on April 23, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 205.[28] He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[29]

Pedro faced Harry Hunsucker on August 20, 2022 at UFC 278 .[30] He won the fight after stopping Hunsucker with a front kick to the body and ground and pound.[31]

Pedro was scheduled to face Zhang Mingyang on February 12, 2023 at UFC 284.[32] However, Mingyang withdrew for unknown reasons and was replaced by Modestas Bukauskas.[33] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[34]

Pedro faced Anton Turkalj on September 10, 2023, at UFC 293.[35] He won the fight via first round knockout.[36]

Pedro faced Vitor Petrino on March 2, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 238.[37] He lost the bout by unanimous decision and retired from MMA after the bout.[38]

Boxing

Pedro was scheduled to make his pro boxing debut against Kris Terzievski on June 12, 2024 in Moore Park, NSW, Australia.[39] On May 8, 2024 it was announced that Pedro suffered an arm injury and the fight was cancelled.[40][41]

Personal life

Pedro is married. His father, John Pedro, is famous for bringing MMA to Australia.[42]

Pedro's brother-in-law is UFC heavyweight fighter Tai Tuivasa.[43][44]

Pedro is a fan of the Penrith Panthers, a professional Rugby league team in Australia.[45]

As of December 2017, Pedro hosted "The Halfcast Podcast" with Tai Tuivasa as co-host.[46][47][48]

He is named after former undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson.[49]

Pedro is co-owner of Drink West Brewery with Tai Tuivasa and Nathan Cleary.[50]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
15 matches 10 wins 5 losses
By knockout 5 1
By submission 5 1
By decision 0 3
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 10–5 Vitor Petrino Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev March 2, 2024 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Retired after bout
Win 10–4 Anton Turkalj KO (punches) UFC 293 September 10, 2023 1 2:12 Sydney
Loss 9–4 Modestas Bukauskas Decision (unanimous) UFC 284 February 12, 2023 3 5:00 Perth, Australia
Win 9–3 Harry Hunsucker TKO (body kick and punches) UFC 278 August 20, 2022 1 1:05 Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Win 8–3 Ike Villanueva KO (leg kick and punches) UFC Fight Night: Lemos vs. Andrade April 23, 2022 1 4:55 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 7–3 Maurício Rua TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa December 2, 2018 3 0:43 Adelaide, Australia
Loss 7–2 Ovince Saint Preux Submission (straight armbar) UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Edwards June 23, 2018 1 2:54 Kallang, Singapore
Win 7–1 Saparbek Safarov Submission (kimura) UFC 221 February 10, 2018 1 3:54 Perth, Australia
Loss 6–1 Ilir Latifi Decision (unanimous) UFC 215 September 9, 2017 3 5:00 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Win 6–0 Paul Craig TKO (elbows) UFC 209 March 4, 2017 1 4:10 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 5–0 Khalil Rountree Jr. Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson November 27, 2016 1 4:07 Melbourne, Australia Performance of the Night.
Win 4–0 Stephen Warby Submission (rear-naked choke) Australian FC 17 October 15, 2016 1 3:05 Melbourne, Australia
Win 3–0 Don Endermann Submission (rear-naked choke) Australian FC 16 June 18, 2016 1 2:27 Melbourne, Australia
Win 2–0 Michael Fitzgerald Submission (guillotine choke) Urban Fight Night 6 March 12, 2016 1 2:20 Sydney, Australia
Win 1–0 Charlie Ngaheu KO (punch) Eternal MMA 3 September 23, 2013 1 0:31 Gold Coast, Australia

[51]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Tyson Pedro". Tapology. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "Tyson Pedro | UFC". UFC.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  3. ^ @tyson_pedro_ (8 February 2019). "Tried to surprise my mestre & professor tonight, but that's why he's the mestre because he did the double surprise. He asks me to come on the mat and I tried to tell him I have my hat & no gi, he looked at me with the it wasn't a request eyes & presented me with my black belt. 🙏🏽" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ^ "Humans of the Islands: Tyson Pedro". The Coconet.tv. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  5. ^ "What's Fresh –Tyson Pedro dominates in UFC debut". niufm.com. Retrieved 4 May 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ "Meet the five UFC 221 fighters who grew up playing The Greatest Game of All". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  7. ^ Cooke, Richard (2 December 2017). "Fists of fate: Tyson Pedro, 26, mixed martial artist". The Saturday Paper. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  8. ^ "A Quick Chat With Tyson Pedro On The Eve Of The Fight Of His Life: UFC Fight Night 101". Sports. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Pedro to fight at UFC Melbourne". Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  10. ^ "Meet Tyson Pedro: West Sydney's Man in UFC Fight Night 101". Vice Sports. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  11. ^ Oates, Alex (19 October 2016). "Rising MMA star Tyson Pedro calls on UFC boss Dana White to add him to the UFC Melbourne card". Herald Sun. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  12. ^ "Rockhold vs. Souza 2 rematch canceled". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  13. ^ a b "UFC Fight Night 101 Bonuses: Robert Whittaker Pockets $100K for First-Round TKO". Sherdog. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  14. ^ "Australian light-heavyweight Tyson Pedro to take on Paul Craig at UFC 209". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  15. ^ Ben Fowlkes (4 March 2017). "UFC 209 results: Tyson Pedro puts Paul Craig away in first with vicious elbows". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  16. ^ Johan Taliercio (28 June 2017). "Ilir Latifi ready for new match – get unreserved opponent on UFC 215" (in Swedish). mmanytt.se. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  17. ^ "UFC 215 results: Ilir Latifi's wrestling hands Tyson Pedro first pro loss". MMAjunkie. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  18. ^ "UFC locks in first bouts for Perth event". The West Australian. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  19. ^ Sherdog.com. "Ovince St. Preux vs. Tyson Pedro, Two Other Bouts Booked for UFC Fight Night 132 in Singapore". Sherdog. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  20. ^ "UFC Fight Night 132 results: Ovince Saint Preux gets dropped early but submits Tyson Pedro". MMAjunkie. 23 June 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  21. ^ Nathan Zur (10 August 2018). "Aussie Duo Tai Tuivasa, Tyson Pedro Both Sign New Six-Fight Contracts With The UFC". sherdog.com.
  22. ^ Sherdog.com. "Light heavyweights 'Shogun' Rua, Tyson Pedro to Clash at UFC Fight Night 142 in Adelaide". Sherdog. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  23. ^ Anderson, Jay (2 December 2018). "UFC Adelaide Results: Shogun Survives Early Storm, Finishes Tyson Pedro In Third". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  24. ^ Brendan Bradford (2 December 2018). "UFC Adelaide: Bad injury news but no excuses for Tyson Pedro". sportingnews.com. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  25. ^ Mike Bohn and John Morgan (7 February 2019). "Fresh off ACL surgery, Tyson Pedro unsure of timeline for return". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  26. ^ "Kiwi Dan Hooker confirmed as main event for UFC Auckland". The New Zealand Herald. 27 November 2019. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  27. ^ Jay Pettry (2 January 2020). "Tyson Pedro withdraws from UFC Auckland". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  28. ^ Farah Hannoun (26 January 2022). "Tyson Pedro returns from three-year layoff, meets Ike Villanueva at UFC Fight Night on April 23". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  29. ^ Anderson, Jay (23 April 2022). "UFC Vegas 52: Tyson Pedro Triumphant in Return, Stops Ike Villanueva". Cageside Press. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  30. ^ Nolan King and Farah Hannoun (14 June 2022). "Tyson Pedro booked for UFC 278 return vs. Harry Hunsucker in Salt Lake City". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  31. ^ Martin, Damon (20 August 2022). "UFC 278 results: Tyson Pedro demolishes Harry Hunsucker with devastating body shot in just 65 seconds". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  32. ^ Anderson, Jay (31 October 2022). "Tyson Pedro Welcomes Road to UFC's Zhang Mingyang to Octagon at UFC 284". Cageside Press. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  33. ^ Staff (25 January 2023). "Modestas Bukauskas books return at UFC 284 in Perth vs. Tyson Pedro". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  34. ^ Val Dewar (11 February 2023). "UFC 284: Modestas Bukauskas wins unanimous decision in return against Tyson Pedro". Cageside Press. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  35. ^ https://www.facebook.com/sebbevm (20 July 2023). "Anton Turkalj booked for big fight against Aussie UFC veteran". Frontkick.online. Retrieved 18 August 2023. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); External link in |last= (help)
  36. ^ McKinley, Charlotte (9 September 2023). "UFC 293: Tyson Pedro Makes Anton Turkalj's Night Decidedly Unpleasurable". Cageside Press. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  37. ^ Sherdog.com. "Vitor Petrino vs. Tyson Pedro Booked for UFC Fight Night 238 on March 2". Sherdog. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  38. ^ Val Dewar (2 March 2024). "UFC Vegas 87: Vitor Petrino Stays Undefeated, Tyson Pedro Retires After Loss". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  39. ^ Iskenderov, Parviz (9 April 2024). "Ex-UFC fighter Tyson Pedro makes pro boxing debut against Kris Terzievski in June". FIGHTMAG.
  40. ^ Iskenderov, Parviz (8 May 2024). "Tyson Pedro suffers 'serious injury' ahead of boxing debut against Kris Terzievski". FIGHTMAG.
  41. ^ "Ex-UFC star forced to cancel pro boxing debut". wwos.nine.com.au.
  42. ^ "FC 209: Tyson Pedro out to hit it hard in Las Vegas, just like the man he was named after, Mike Tyson". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  43. ^ "UFC 209: Tyson Pedro out to hit it hard in Las Vegas, just like the man he was named after, Mike Tyson". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  44. ^ "Tai Tuivasa to join UFC on four-fight deal and will fight in heavyweight division". Herald Sun. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  45. ^ "UFC 209: Western Sydney's Tyson Pedro set for the big time". the Sydney Morning Herald. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  46. ^ The halfcast podcast (30 October 2017), The Halfcast Podcast #1, retrieved 24 December 2017
  47. ^ The halfcast podcast (23 November 2017), The Halfcast Podcast #2, retrieved 24 December 2017
  48. ^ The halfcast podcast (7 December 2017), The Halfcast Podcast #3, retrieved 24 December 2017
  49. ^ Walshaw, Nick. "UFC 209: Tyson Pedro out to hit it hard in Las Vegas, just like the man he was named after, Mike Tyson".
  50. ^ "Drink West Becomes the Official Beer Partner of UFC in Australia". UFC. 4 May 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  51. ^ Sherdog.com. "Tyson Pedro MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography – Sherdog.com". Sherdog. Retrieved 8 November 2018.