Tyson Pedro

Background

Tyson Pedro, an Australian of American Samoan heritage, traded his junior rugby league days at St Dominic's College for a full-time martial arts path. His father, John Pedro, a pioneering MMA fighter who owned King of the Cage in Australia, introduced him to Japanese jiu-jitsu at age four. Pedro later added boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu to his skills, eventually earning seven black belts across different combat styles before stepping into MMA.

Mixed martial arts career

After winning over Kiwi Steven Warby at Australian Fighting Championship 17 via rear-naked choke, Pedro called UFC president Dana White and personally asked him to fight at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson in Melbourne, should any fighters pull out from the event. He was added to the card after Luke Rockhold withdrew due to a sprained anterior cruciate ligament. Pedro made his promotional debut against Khalil Rountree on November 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson, winning via submission in round 1 and earning a Performance of the Night bonus.

He faced Paul Craig on March 4, 2017, at UFC 209, winning via first round TKO. Pedro fought Ilir Latifi on September 9, 2017, at UFC 215, losing via unanimous decision for his first professional loss. He faced Saparbek Safarov on February 11, 2018, at UFC 221, winning via submission due to a kimura in the first round. Pedro faced Ovince Saint Preux on June 23, 2018, at UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Edwards, losing via submission in the first round.

On August 10, 2018, it was revealed that Pedro had signed a new, six-fight contract with the UFC. He faced Maurício Rua on December 2, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 142, losing via technical knockout in round three after suffering a leg injury. Pedro was sidelined for all of 2019 recovering from knee reconstruction surgery. He was scheduled to face Vinicius Moreira on February 23, 2020, but pulled out in early January citing an undisclosed injury.

After a three-year absence, Pedro returned to face Ike Villanueva on April 23, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 205, winning via knockout in the first round. He faced Harry Hunsucker on August 20, 2022 at UFC 278, winning after stopping Hunsucker with a front kick to the body and ground and pound. Pedro was scheduled to face Zhang Mingyang on February 12, 2023 at UFC 284, but Mingyang withdrew and was replaced by Modestas Bukauskas, losing via unanimous decision.

He faced Anton Turkalj on September 10, 2023, at UFC 293, winning via first round knockout. Pedro faced Vitor Petrino on March 2, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 238, losing by unanimous decision and retiring from MMA after the bout. On December 15, 2025, it was reported that Pedro was returning from retirement and signed with the Professional Fighters League. He made his PFL debut against Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov on April 16, 2026, at PFL Belfast, losing via unanimous decision.

Pedro faced Rafael Xavier on July 25, 2026, at PFL Washington DC, losing via technical knockout in the final seconds of round one.

Boxing career

Pedro was scheduled to make his pro boxing debut against Kris Terzievski on June 12, 2024 in Moore Park, NSW, Australia. On May 8, 2024 it was announced that Pedro suffered an arm injury and the fight was cancelled.

Personal life

Pedro is married. His father, John Pedro, is famous for bringing MMA to Australia. Pedro's brother-in-law is UFC heavyweight fighter Tai Tuivasa. Pedro is a fan of the Penrith Panthers, a professional Rugby league team in Australia. As of December 2017, Pedro hosted 'The Halfcast Podcast' with Tai Tuivasa as co-host. He is named after former undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson. Pedro is co-owner of Drink West Brewery with Tai Tuivasa and Nathan Cleary.

Championships and accomplishments

Ultimate Fighting Championship: Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.