So began a remarkable pugilistic journey. It carried him all the way to the UFC, where Pedro won 10 of his 15 fights, and will culminate in a professional boxing debut against Australian heavyweight champion Kris Terzievski in Uncaged, a pay-per-view boxing event to be broadcast live and exclusive on Stan on Wednesday, June 12.
The pair face off for the WBC international bridgerweight title, a division in which Terzievski is ranked fifth in the world. The winner could be just one further victory away from one of boxing’s most prized belts.
Tyson Pedro celebrates victory in the UFC octagon.Credit: Getty
For Pedro, it would be an unconventional journey to the top. The 32-year-old’s career appeared over when he tore his ACL during a loss to former light-heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua at UFC 142 in December 2018. There were myriad complications, resulting in two knee reconstructions and two meniscus operations.
It wasn’t until April 2023 that he was able to climb back into the octagon. “I’ve got the record for the longest layoff in UFC history,” he said.
It was some return, a first-round knockout of Ike Villanueva. But it almost didn’t happen. Retirement became a serious consideration as the constant setbacks triggered a nervous breakdown.
“It was a very up and down journey, that four years,” he said. “It was life-changing to say the least. I got to the third surgery and I was like ‘I’m done’. Especially when you have close friends and family telling you to wrap it up and retire. There were definitely downs. In the UFC you don’t get paid when you don’t fight. That’s when I started new things, high-risk businesses.”
Tyson Pedro and Kris Terzievski face off on June 12.Credit: Rhett Wyman, SMH
Like the restaurants he opened during COVID. Or the Drink West beer label he began with Tai Tuivasa and Nathan Cleary. When they ordered too much product and didn’t know how to move it, they opened up a chicken wing business, figuring punters would wash them down with their ales. There have been podcasts and soon the opening of a new sports bar. At other times he would hike Machu Picchu, all part of a “spiritual journey to find myself.”
Yet he came back to the one constant in his life, fighting.
With him every step of the way has been his father. John has always pushed him, sometimes seemingly too hard. Like the time they played a game of flinch that got out of hand.
“It kept progressing and he used to do this trick with a knife where you go to throw it and then catch the knife in the same hand,” Tyson said. “As he got older he slowed down a bit and the knife went straight into my chest.
“When everyone was kicking the footy around, we were choking each other out.”
Tyson Pedro on growing up with combat sports
“I was crying and he got angry at me, he said, ‘See what happens when we play these games!’ Then I got a hiding for playing the game.”
Yet when Tyson was at his lowest ebb, having put intense pressure on himself ahead of his comeback fight, his dad was by his side.
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“My dad had to come pick me up; he was in New Zealand at the time,” he said. “I can’t explain it, how much was riding on that win in my comeback. It definitely got a bit much. I’ve got tingles now thinking about it. It was stressful times, for sure.”
John will again be in his corner during the latest challenge, a switch to boxing.
“A lot of people are counting me out, they’re not even giving me a puncher’s chance,” he said. “It’s like anything that scares me, I just run at it. I want to be a champion. I’ve always wanted a belt. To be able to get one in my first fight, fighting for a belt, it’s crazy. I wanna go all the way to the top.”
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