‘I’m a UFC fighter and got my first fight calling Dana White and asking for one’

The route to the pinnacle of most sports is often long and winding – but not for Tyson Pedro.

The Australian was just 25 when he earned a spot in the UFC limelight due in no small part to his own perseverance. That’s after Pedro used a post-fight interview to call on president Dana White and asked for a place on the Melbourne card at UFC Fight Night 101 should there be any withdrawals.

Sure enough, a spot opened up after former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold was forced to pull out of his clash with Jacare Souza due to an ACL injury. White responded by fulfilling Pedro’s plea and gave the 4-0 fighter his chance against Khalil Rountree Jr. on three weeks’ notice.

“They’ve got a show in November and if someone pulls out at light heavyweight, I’m there,” said Pedro after submitting Steven Warby in the first round of their October 2016 bout. “I’ve been training hard and I’m ready to go Dana.”

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The importance of marketing is more important in mixed martial arts than ever before, and Pedro seized his opportunity to put himself on the map. Another first-round submission victory against Ultimate Fighter alumnus Rountree justified White’s punt, and a new star was born in the sport’s top promotion.

It seemed all but fated that Pedro would end up among the UFC ranks at one point or another. A black belt in three different disciplines, it was his father, John, who is largely credited with bringing MMA to Australia and competed in the country’s first sanctioned cage fight.

The duo are described as being ‘best mates’, though the dynamic was far from your average father-son pair. Pedro Sr. once knocked his son’s teeth out during sparring and accidentally wedged a knife in his chest when Tyson was just 15, with the Daily Telegraph reporting film producers have even been in touch to request the rights to their story.

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“!There’s been a couple, yeah,” said retired fighter John last year. “I’ve had a filmmaker from England reach out, too.!

That upbringing around the gym moulded Pedro, now 31, into a dangerous talent, who has notched all five of his UFC victories inside the first round. A few missteps along the way means he now boasts a pro record of 9-4, most recently losing to London-based Modesta Bukauskas this past February.

Having once relied largely on his grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu talents, the 6’3″ star has expanded his striking nous and now boasts four knockout victories. He earned a Performance of the Night bonus of $50,000 for his stoppage of Rountree back in 2016, delighting the Melbourne crowd despite very little prep time.

Home hasn’t been all that comforting of late foe Pedro, however, considering each of his last two losses came on Australian soil.

Without a fight booked in at present, Pedro has time on his hands to piece together the next step in his UFC career. The 13-fight veteran will be hunting a place in the light heavyweight rankings, with Rountree and Paul Craig – both of whom he’s beaten – currently sat in 13th and ninth, respectively.

A great man once said it’s all about the confidence, and Pedro is proof in the pudding after earning his shot though little more than gall and spirit. Now fighting among the best mixed martial artists on the planet, his origin story is testament to where a little bottle and a lot of talent can take you.