It’s been a long time coming for Australian fighter Tyson Pedro.
After more than three years away from the UFC mired with injuries and setbacks, the NSW fighter scored an impressive finish over Ike Villanueva via TKO with just seconds remaining in the first round, to cap off an emotional return.
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The Aussie light heavyweight had been sidelined since he suffered an ACL injury in the loss to Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua in 2018. Pedro’s knee injury came with complications that led to an extended absence from the promotion.
But he looked in supreme condition and used leg kicks to set the tone early, and it opened up opportunities later in the fight.
It was another kick that dropped Villanueva later in the round, before he landed a couple of uppercuts and the referee stopped the fight.
Speaking to former UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, Pedro said he often wondered if he would get back in the octagon.
“It’s surreal at the moment,” Pedro said.
“Just need a second to take it all in, because there’s a lot going on.
“I can’t even put into words how hard it’s been. Four long years.
“If you’ve seen some of my last fights, they were rushed. It was a bit amateurish.
“One thing that’s happened is my mentality has gotten way better. I’m way more patient.
“This is the proudest I can say I’ve been of myself in a long time.”
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