Tyson Pedro has revealed a post-fight conversation with his wife in September was the catalyst for his surprise career switch to boxing.
The 32-year-old from Penrith shocked the combat sports world in March when he first retired from the UFC and then in April signed up for a challenging boxing debut against Australian heavyweight champion Kris Terzievski.
Pedro – named after Mike Tyson – also grew up idolising the likes of Lennox Lewis, David Haye and David Tua and was 5-0 as an amateur boxer before committing to MMA.
Ex-UFC star Tyson Pedro will face Kris Terzievski on June 12 in his pro boxing debut on Stan. Order the ‘Uncaged’ pay per view here
The knockout artist’s love of boxing never left him but it wasn’t until after his UFC 293 KO of Anton Turkalj in September that things really got moving.
“It was after this Sydney fight that I just had,” Pedro said.
“My wife (Rosie) looked at me and she was like ‘you’re acting like this after this fight? You’re acting like this was a loss?’
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“And I didn’t realise at the time, but it was my self conscious. I’d already decided that I was making the transition to boxing then. So I was half a foot out the door with UFC.
“And even though I had this loss in my last UFC fight (against Vitor Petrino in March), I was acting like I won because I knew that this new journey was beginning. So it’s very exciting.”
Pedro has wasted no time in accelerating his boxing development, taking on former world champion Jai Opetaia in a spirited sparring session ahead of his June 12 ’Uncaged’ debut bout.
“It’s all gas, no brakes,” Pedro said.
“I didn’t think my retirement was going to be this short… I’m not going to be taking any easy fights. Boxing is my original love.
“When I was younger coming up, my dream was actually to go to the Olympics. As a kid, I used to skip school every day, to get down to my boxing gym. I’m not coming in here to half arse it.
“I want the biggest fights, the best fights and then the whole reason we’re coming back – I’ve always wanted to be world champion.”
Pedro has joined the stable of Australian boxing legend Danny Green.
Former world champion Green believes Pedro’s “dynamic personality” and “X factor” will set him apart from rivals and said his preparation and dedication to the craft was bone deep.
“At the end of the day, he’ll be the last guy over in the corner of the gym,” Green said.
“Everyone’s left, the cameras are gone, he’s the guy over there talking to the bloke who no-one knows, who’s just asking him for tips on fighting.
“And that’s the kind of bloke he is, which makes me proud to represent him.”
Green said Pedro was born into the fight game through his father John, who he called “the pioneer of cage fighting in this country.”
“Tyson Pedro has been getting slammed around, headlocked, punched, kicked, rolled, wrestled with his father since he was in nappies,” he said.
“Tyson Pedro isn’t coming to boxing. He’s coming back to boxing.”
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