This weekend's bout at UFC 284 will be Tyson Pedro's third under the City Kickboxing banner. Photo / Getty Images
This weekend's bout at UFC 284 will be Tyson Pedro's third under the City Kickboxing banner. Photo / Getty Images
Things are starting to click for Tyson Pedro.
After being kept on the sidelines for more than three years due to knee injuries, the UFC light heavyweight has been rebuilding himself at City Kickboxing in Auckland under the watchful eye of head coach Eugene Bareman.
At the time of hisinjury in 2018, Pedro was ranked inside the UFC’s top-15 in his weight class, however spending so long out of action saw him return at the ground floor last year.
Now, after not having fought for so long, Pedro (9-3) is set to have his third fight in the space of a year when he meets Modestas Bukauskas (13-5) at UFC 284 in Perth on Sunday.
In his third full camp at Auckland’s famed City Kickboxing gym, Pedro said he was starting to notice just how much he was learning and improving with the Kiwi camp.
“What I was learning as fundamentals in the first two camps are becoming second nature, and that’s a good thing to have when you’re in the fight game.”
Tyson Pedro. Photo / Getty
Pedro has returned to UFC action in a major way, with two first-round stoppage wins in 2022. In Perth, he takes a step up in level of opponent against Bukauskas who, although was cut by the UFC after going 1-3 on his first contract, is fast and accurate in his approach.
Initially scheduled to take on Chinese newcomer Mingyang Zhang, Pedro had a late change in opponent and is one that he believes poses more of a challenge.
“He’s got a good one-two,” Pedro said of Bukauskas. “He looks fast, and he looks more dangerous than the last guy as an all-around fighter. I think I’ve got the answers to any questions he’s going to ask.
“It’s good that he’s had a couple of fights [in the UFC], because Mingyang didn’t have anything really to watch on him, so that’s a positive.
“But honestly, I’m just ready to fight. I’ve been ready to fight for a couple of weeks now.”
For the 31-year-old, travelling from his home in Sydney for full camps in Auckland adds to his fire, as he leaves his wife and daughter behind for extended periods of time as he works to get the best out of himself.
With fight camps usually being anywhere from eight to 12 weeks, the life of a professional fighter is a big commitment and Pedro admits you have to be selfish in order to make the most out of the job.
“Martial artists, we’re trying to better ourselves each day, and I’m only focused on me getting better,” Pedro explained.
“At the moment, I’m away from my family so that I can be on this journey and get to where I want to in fighting. That’s about as selfish as it gets. Luckily, I have a family that is understanding of it, but being in a different country, I’ve been away eight, maybe nine months of the last year ... so it’s definitely a selfish sport in my experience.
