Tyson Pedro
| Tyson Pedro | |
|---|---|
 Tyson Pedro at UFC 234 | |
| Born | 17 September 1991[1] Penrith, New South Wales, Australia |
| Other names | Kangaroo Paws |
| Nationality | Samoan and Australian |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 205.5 lb (93.2 kg; 14.68 st) |
| Division | Light heavyweight |
| Reach | 79 in (201 cm) |
| Fighting out of | Sydney, Australia |
| Team | Lions High Performance Centre |
| Rank | Black belt in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu[2] Black belt in Kempo[2] Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[3] |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 10 |
| Wins | 7 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 5 |
| Losses | 3 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Tyson Pedro (born 17 September 1991) is an Australian mixed martial artist who competes in the Light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Background[]
Pedro is an Australian of Spanish, American Samoa heritage.[4][5]
He is the son of John Pedro, who owned King of the Cage in Australia[6] and was one of exponent MMA and fighters fought in the first cage fight in Australia.[7][8] With seven black belts of different combat sport style, Pedro was introduced to Japanese jiu-jitsu (a.k.a. jujutsu) at the age of 4. From jujutsu, he progressed to boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu before eventually fighting MMA.[9]
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.[10][11]
Ultimate Fighting Championship[]
Pedro made his promotional debut against Khalil Rountree on 15 November 2016 at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson. He won the fight via submission in round 1, for which he was awarded with a Performance of the Night bonus.[12]
Pedro faced Paul Craig on 4 March 2017 at UFC 209.[13] He won the bout via first round TKO.[14]
Pedro fought Ilir Latifi on 9 September 2017 at UFC 215.[15] Latifi won the fight via unanimous decision, handing Pedro his first professional loss.[16]
Pedro faced Saparbek Safarov on 11 February 2018 at UFC 221, winning the match via submission due to a kimura hold in the first round.[17]
Pedro faced Ovince Saint Preux on 23 June 2018 at UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Edwards.[18] He lost the fight via submission in the first round.[19]
On 10 August 2018, it was revealed that Pedro had signed a new, six-fight contract with the UFC.[20]
Pedro faced Maurício Rua on 2 December 2018 at UFC Fight Night 142.[21] Rua defeating Pedro via technical knockout in round three, finishing Pedro with a flurry of strikes after Pedro suffered a leg injury and was unable to defend himself.[22][23]
Pedro was sidelined for all of 2019 as he recovered from knee reconstruction surgery.[24]
Pedro was scheduled to face Vinicius Moreira on 23 February 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. Hooker.[25] However, Pedro pulled out of the fight in early January citing an undisclosed injury.[26]
Personal life[]
Pedro is married to Rosie, and his father, John Pedro, is famous for bringing MMA to Australia.[27]
Pedro's brother in law is UFC heavyweight fighter Tai Tuivasa.[28][29]
Pedro is a fan of the Penrith Panthers, a professional Rugby league team in Australia.[30]
As of December 2017, Pedro hosted "The Halfcast Podcast" with Tai Tuivasa as co-host.[31][32][33]
He is named after former undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson.[34]
Championships and accomplishments[]
Mixed martial arts[]
Mixed martial arts record[]
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 10 matches | 7 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 1 |
| By submission | 5 | 1 |
| By decision | 0 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 7–3 | Maurício Rua | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa | 2 December 2018 | 3 | 0:43 | Adelaide, Australia | |
| Loss | 7–2 | Ovince Saint Preux | Submission (straight armbar) | UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Edwards | 23 June 2018 | 1 | 2:54 | Kallang, Singapore | |
| Win | 7–1 | Saparbek Safarov | Submission (kimura) | UFC 221 | 10 February 2018 | 1 | 3:54 | Perth, Australia | |
| Loss | 6–1 | Ilir Latifi | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 215 | 9 September 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | |
| Win | 6–0 | Paul Craig | TKO (elbows) | UFC 209 | 4 March 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 | 27 November 2016 | 1 | 4:07 | Melbourne, Australia | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 4–0 | Stephen Warby | Submission (rear-naked choke) | AFC 17 | 15 October 2016 | 1 | 3:05 | Melbourne, Australia | |
| Win | 3–0 | Don Endermann | Submission (rear-naked choke) | AFC 16: Sosoli vs. Tuivasa | 18 June 2016 | 1 | 2:27 | Melbourne, Australia | |
| Win | 2–0 | Michael Fitzgerald | Submission (guillotine choke) | Urban Fight Night 6: Make or Break | 12 March 2016 | 1 | 2:20 | Liverpool, Australia | |
| Win | 1–0 | Charlie Ngaheu | KO (punch) | Eternal MMA 3: Friday Night Fights | 23 September 2013 | 1 | 0:31 | Coolangatta, Australia |
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Tyson Pedro". Tapology. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
- ^ a b "Tyson Pedro – Official UFC Profile". UFC.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ @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.