There’s a lot to unpack before we get to what comes next for these athletes, so let’s get to work!

Shamil Gaziev

In the eyes of many a fan and pundit, Shamil Gaziev was the heavy favorite heading into UFC Vegas 87, where he faced Surinamese kickboxer Jairzinho Rozenstruik. A lot of that likely came down to Gaziev’s undefeated record, but looks can be deceiving. There are a lot of 0-0, 1-0, and 2-0 records belonging to the Bahraini’s opponents on his resume; through his first seven fights, he didn’t face anyone with more than five fights’ worth of experience, and even that was an outlier. Pro fight number seven, Gaziev was fighting someone making their pro debut.

A lot of that matchmaking comes down to where Shamil was competing and how thin heavyweight is. So not knocking him, just the reality is, not all undefeated records are created equally. Even when he got to stiffer competition, Darko Stosic is barely a heavyweight (he fought at 205 in the UFC).

As for Gaziev quitting in this fight, it comes down to an argument between fighter and corner about being unable to see between rounds. Here’s what quashes the quitting argument: at the end of it all, Gaziev appeared ready to soldier on for the fifth round. Nor was he trying to get the ref’s attention, as he wasn’t speaking English. Credit to ref Marc Goddard for having the presence of mind to a) recognize something was wrong and b) demand the translator explain what was going on. He made the right call in stopping the fight. Gaziev made the right call in telling his corner. The only fault really is his corner urging him to carry on with impaired vision, but even that is understandable in the heat of the moment.

Ultimately Shamil will now regroup and probably needs a slower path up the division. He was exposed pretty badly by Jair Rozenstruik’s jab, and there are obvious cardio issues. When Gaziev is ready to rumble again, let’s go with someone outside of the rankings. The loser of Josh Parisian vs. Olympian Robelis Despaigne at UFC 299 works.

Gaziev’s next fight: Josh Parisian vs. Robelis Despaigne loser

Tyson Pedro

Australian light heavyweight Tyson Pedro retired after his loss to Vitor Petrino, so we don’t need to do any matchmaking for him. But Pedro’s retirement has sparked the fighter pay debate yet again, just over six weeks out from the UFC heading to the biggest fight in company history: not UFC 300, but an antitrust lawsuit that sees them risking the loss of over a billion dollars, and the possibility that some of their business practices be deemed illegitimate.

Since fighter pay is no longer disclosed in Nevada, it’s hard to say what Pedro made on Saturday. That’s a black mark on the Nevada Athletic Commission, which never should have caved to pressure from promoters to hide fighter pay behind the curtain (in short, fighter’s no longer have a point of reference as to what their peers make when negotiating contracts with the promotion, and it keeps the unseemly low pay of high level athletes out of the public eye). But in 2023, Pedro fought twice, going 1-1. Right off the bat, that means he earned 75% of his potential salary, because of the show/win system. Beyond that, he had travel expenses, gym fees, and taxes. While Pedro cited the need to be with his family as a factor in retiring, he also joked that he’d need to mug someone in the parking lot after losing half his paycheck on Saturday.

This is a very bad look for the UFC, though the usual pack of dimwits rushed to Dana White’s defense, blaming Pedro for accepting a bad deal. That brings us back to the antitrust suit, which alleges the UFC used their market dominance to force a bad deal on pretty much everyone. At least from 2011 to 2017. Pedro joined the promotion in 2016, so he is part of the class period and entitled to compensation should the outcome favor the fighters. But that fact is, it’s 2024, and entry-level UFC fighters are making the same money they were a decade ago, despite soaring inflation. Mid-tier fighters barely earn enough to squeak by. Playing in the Canadian Football League gives you a more reliable paycheck than the UFC at this point. It’s shameful.

And the timing is really, really bad for the UFC, as it just reminds everyone of the upcoming lawsuit, as settlement talks remain ongoing.

Pedro’s next fight: Retirement

Alex Perez

Ex-flyweight title challenger Alex Perez looked decent in a loss to top-flight prospect Muhammad Mokaev at UFC Vegas 87, and some have suggested he even exposed “The Punisher” to some degree. Let’s not get too crazy, but it was a competitive fight. Perez doesn’t lose too much shine from the loss itself, but rather from having dropped three straight, and his lack of activity, fighting three times in four years.

This would be a good time to rebook the Matt Schnell fight. It’s fallen through more than once, it feels like there’s unfinished business there, and Schnell fought and lost on the same card.

Perez’s next fight: Matt Schnell

Bekzat Almakhan

You land your UFC debut, and it’s against Umar Nurmagomedov. Man, what a gut punch. But Bekzat Almakhan didn’t hesitate, where a number of UFC veterans did. Credit to the Kazakh for taking the fight, and even knocking down Nurmagomedov early in the bout. He was dominated from there, but let’s see how he looks against someone not from the Nurmagomedov clan before we pass judgement.

Daniel “Willycat” Santos is 2-1 in the UFC and doesn’t have a fight booked. Let’s see how that goes.

Almakhan’s next fight: Daniel Santos

Matt Schnell

Matt Schnell was flatlined by Steven Erceg in the UFC Vegas 87 card-opener. That’s something you don’t see often at flyweight. Now seems like the perfect time to get that fight with Alex Perez back on the books, as we’ve already discussed. They both lost on the same night so the timing works out, though Schnell might need a slightly longer layoff to heal up.

Schnell’s next fight: Alex Perez

The post What’s Next: UFC Vegas 87 Losers appeared first on Cageside Press.

Undefeated Brazilian Vitor Petrino took the 205-lb division by storm with three straight wins to start his UFC career, and showed his well-roundedness by winning each one with a different method: decision, submission, and then brutal knockout. He took on a prospect of the past, Australia’s Tyson Pedro, who is also well-rounded but has faced myriad ups and downs in his career, including a brutal injury which kept him out for four years. Now 3-1 since his return from that injury, he attempted to derail Petrino’s hype train like Ilir Latifi and Ovince St. Preux had once done to him.

Pedro began with his patented leg kicks in a fight that started slowly; Petrino tried to corral him but his poor cagecraft and Tyson’s own footwork kept him off the fence. Vitor had trouble getting into striking range but found the mark with a few good jabs. With one minute left he connected with a body kick to right hand, the biggest connections of the round. Still, the round ended with neither man really having gotten going.

The second round saw them begin to open up more at first, then Pedro shot for a takedown. The pair jockeyed for position against the fence and then Petrino went for his own takedown. That failed and they got back to center. Petrino worked with his jab but did not put anything behind it and Tyson did occasional good work with his kicks. Pedro failed another takedown with two minutes left. The round ended with little more happening, and even less damage done than the first round as a whole.

Petrino stunned Pedro with two big jabs and a right hand to start the third round as he turned up the pace by quite a bit. More volume followed in the form of leg kicks and jabs – jabs with quite a bit of power behind them that caught Tyson’s attention. However, the Brazilian then clinched up with double underhooks. He tried to muscle Pedro to the mat and got the back body-lock. That, he used to slam the Australian to the mat and slide a hook in as Pedro tried to get up again. He used his sheer strength to slam Tyson to the mat every time that Pedro tried to get up. Petrino hunted a choke a few times but never got that close until the final ten seconds, when there was not enough time left to finish his arm-triangle choke attempt.

The third round was the only round that was clear, but due to it being so dominant for Petrino he only needed to have won one of the first two on two judges’ scorecards in order to get the nod. In fact, when the scores were read out, two judges gave him all three rounds while the other one gave him two, so Vitor Petrino remained undefeated as a pro. At just twenty-six he has a bright future in front of him, though he will have to fix some of his tactical and strategic issues when he faces the top-fifteen light-heavyweights in the world.

After Petrino’s interview, Tyson Pedro announced his retirement from professional MMA, stating that his dreams have changed now and that all he ever wanted was to show his daughter that her dreams are possible, a beautiful sentiment.

Official Result: Vitor Petrino def. Tyson Pedro by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

The post UFC Vegas 87: Vitor Petrino Stays Undefeated, Tyson Pedro Retires After Loss appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Bring it. That’s it,” Pedro told reporters on Wednesday.

“I was the hype train at once. It just takes a better fighter to beat him so I’m ready to take that zero.”

The zero belonging to Petrino’s 10-0 professional record as he heads into Las Vegas against Pedro.

“I’m going to come out there to test him. See if he deserves that zero which…I’m happy to take it like I said,” said Pedro.

The short fight camp was more of a positive than a negative for Pedro who got four weeks to prepare for his co-main event fight at UFC Vegas 87.

“It was actually better. One I didn’t have to spend as much time away from my daughter, and two my body feels amazing. Maybe that’s the new, I don’t know if I can convince Eugene (Bareman) we can do four-week camps, but,” he laughed.

With a short camp, and depending on the result against Petrino, Pedro looks to stay as active as possible in 2024.

“100% plan on staying active,” he said.

Watch the entire media day scrum with Tyson Pedro above. He takes on Vitor Petrino at UFC Vegas 87 on Saturday night.

The post Tyson Pedro Looking To End Petrino Hype Train, “Take That Zero” appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I just finished my work for this fight. For next time I’m going to take a little break to spend some time with my family. Then discuss with my team to see what is next for me,” Zhang told reporters including Cageside Press through a translator on Saturday.

“There is a name in my mind who I want to fight. Tyson Pedro because UFC scheduled me to fight him last year, but I withdraw from that fight due to injury.”

Zhang (17-6) has actually had two debut fights drop out one against Pedro, and another against the man he defeated at UFC 298 Brendson Ribeiro. Zhang is looking to get the Pedro fight back as well.

“Some fans criticized me why I withdraw from this fight. He is the guy I want to fight to show I never pick and choose opponents. I can fight anybody in this division,” said Zhang.

The timeline for that fight is up in the air as Zhang sat in the media room with his right hand in a brace of sorts.

“I don’t know what exactly happened. I just feel some pain after the fight. Doctor just gave me this,” he said.

“Probably I need to take x-ray next week to know what exactly happened.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Zhang Mingyang above.

The post Zhang Mingyang Looking For Matchup With Tyson Pedro appeared first on Cageside Press.

Below are some of the best costumes in MMA from Halloween 2023 (or, you could do your own costume as an MMA notable)!

Carla Esparza

Wonder Woman and a little Hulk? We’ll forgive the Marvel-DC crossover in this case!

Happy Halloween 🎃 👻! Our little Hulk was sleepy, he’s been on night duty so he’s kinda tired 😂😴 #wonderwoman #hulk #clarkkent #superman #marvel pic.twitter.com/Qix3RYMlPF

— Carla Esparza (@CarlaEsparza1) November 1, 2023

Valerie Loureda

She’s now known as Lola Vice in WWE, but Valerie Loureda had a successful run in Bellator MMA prior to switched to scripted violence. She’s always been known to go all-out for Halloween, but this year she went with an angelic theme.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzCfKRhOSg-/?hl=en&img_index=1

Megan Anderson

Former Invicta champ and UFC title challenger Megan Anderson dipped into the anime world for her costume this year.

Halloween 2023 👻🎃 pic.twitter.com/vG340ojx7T

— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) October 31, 2023

Pearl Gonzalez

Former UFC star and BKFC fighter Pearl Gonzalez with a little Scream-inspired cheekiness. Ghostface never looked so good.

https://twitter.com/PearlGonzalez/status/1719357438858572033

Neil Magny

Looks like the Magny family went with a Mario theme this year.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzEFRAhuFUq

Ailin Perez

Ailin Perez pretty much just painted on her costume. In her own words, “I found a really nice pumpkin at the pumpkin patch this year.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzEKemOLINB

Gillian Robertson

That’s a savagely good Toy Story-inspired ensemble.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzEGe8QPeZ0

Tyson Pedro

Sticking with movie-inspired costumes, he’s Tyson Pedro.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzDDK4er4hp

Jon Anik

Neil Magny wasn’t the only one going with a Mario theme this year.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzEWu3YOmRM

Amanda and Nina Nunes

My, what big eyes you have!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzEZZynrEjv

Kay Hansen

Kay couldn’t settle on just one costume and broke out three – Wonder Woman, a sexy cop, and a Chucky-inspired outfit.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzEbZooJs51

Arianny Celeste

Hello nurse!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzC7jLarqIG

Tracy Cortez

Tracy says she’s ghosting everyone for Halloween this year.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy-aNQAOs_3

Max Holloway

This is just cool.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy_rrBCymSG

Demetrious Johnson

Not sure which is scarier, this Heath Ledger-inspired joker, or Mighty Mouse with hair!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzEoZ0IPHba

Kevin Holland

Kevin Holland just won Halloween.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzE4fklJ4JW

Kayla Harrison

Quite the cast of characters here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzE6zbRAhRR

Stephen Thompson

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetle— nope not doing that! He’s do some real damage in the MMA world.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzE89dePiox

Fabian Edwards

Well that’s just plain creepy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzEwy0PrswM

The post Spooky Season 2023: MMA Does Halloween appeared first on Cageside Press.

Dana White has hinted at an immediate rematch, but Adesanya stayed mum following the fight, and there are a lot of different ways the UFC could go. So let’s play a little matchmaker for the main card winners of UFC 293.

Sean Strickland

There are three real options for newly-crowned middleweight champion Sean Strickland’s first title defense after his dismantling of Israel Adesanya. First is the rematch with Adesanya, an idea that Dana White floated in the immediate aftermath of UFC 293, though he received some fan backlash given that Adesanya is now 1-2 in his last three fights.

The second option is a fight against Dricus du Plessis, who became the top contender in the division after defeating Robert Whittaker earlier this year. Dricus would have been the one fighting Adesanya at UFC 293 if not for an injury which made it impossible and allowed Sean Strickland to step in and become champion. The last option is the winner of a high-profile bout between Paulo Costa and one of the hottest prospects in MMA history: Khamzat Chimaev.

Of these three, Dricus absolutely deserves it the most. He is undefeated in the UFC, winning all of his fights except for one by finish, and is not about to have his first-ever ranked fight in the division, like Chimaev. Chimaev may be the future, but there is no guarantee he will beat Costa, and the winner of that fight will not have as impressive of a current resume as Dricus du Plessis.

Strickland’s Next Fight: Dricus du Plessis

Alexander Volkov

Volkov put on a masterclass in enemy territory at UFC 293 as he beat Tai Tuivasa by submission. As a long-time veteran of the UFC heavyweight division, Volkov has fought almost every top contender out there. The only new fighters he has not fought are Jailton Almeida and Sergei Pavlovich.

Pavlovich is too highly ranked for Volkov right now, but Jailton would make sense if he can beat Curtis Blaydes. Of course, Blaydes could also win that fight, but enough time has passed since Volkov first took on Curtis that a rematch would not be far-fetched. Either way the Russian would have to stave off a strong wrestling attack to get his hand raised.

Volkov’s Next Fight: Winner of Blaydes/Almeida

Manel Kape

Manel Kape was initially supposed to face Kai Kara-France at UFC 293, but Kara-France pulled out with a concussion and so Kape had to risk his ranking against a debuting flyweight from Chutebox gym. Felipe Dos Santos pushed Kape to his limit in a ‘Fight of the Night’ but Manel held on for the win.

Now the only logical booking is to reschedule Kape vs Kara-France. If Manel can win he would have an argument for a title shot in his next fight, but KKF is no easy out at 125-lbs.

Kape’s Next Fight: Kai Kara-France

Justin Tafa

The elder Tafa brother got his revenge after getting eye poked and having his first fight with Austin Lane declared a no-contest as a result. Justin knocked out the former NFL player in the very first round to improve his record to 4-3.

A three fight winning streak puts Tafa in a good position to make a run at the rankings. Up next he should fight someone like Augusto Sakai, who was recently demoted from the rankings— and let go by the promotion off a win. There’s a chance he gets re-signed, and a win against a formerly ranked heavyweight would be Tafa’s biggest yet and would give him a currently ranked opponent next. If Sakai doesn’t wind up back on a new contract, the winner of Don’Tale Mayes vs. Rodrigo Nascimento could work as well. Mayes isn’t ranked at the moment, while Nasicmento holds down the #15 slot in a very thin division.

Tafa’s Next Fight: Augusto Sakai or Nascimento/Mayes winner.

Tyson Pedro

Light heavyweight prospect Tyson Pedro rebounded from a disappointing loss by knocking out Anton Turkalj after Turkalj delivered some unusual trash talk in the build-up. His celebration, a mock sword execution, will live on in viral clips for ages.

Pedro now can focus again on maximizing his potential and shooting for a future spot in the rankings. A fellow exciting knockout artist that Tyson could fight next is Nicolae Negumereanu. The Romanian fighter is 4-2 in the UFC and is at a similar spot in his career to Pedro, making the fight both meaningful and likely exciting.

Pedro’s Next Fight: Nicolae Negumereanu

The post What’s Next: UFC 293 Winners appeared first on Cageside Press.

Pedro added another mark into his win column against Sweden’s Anton Turkalj in Sydney, Australia, in the main card opener at UFC 293.

A 2022 Contender Series winner, Turkalj walked out to the Australian crowd’s jeers, unfazed, looking for his first UFC victory after losing his first two bouts in the promotion. The Australian crowd’s jeers quickly turned to cheers when their hometown fighter walked out, looking to redeem himself from his loss to Modestas Bukauskas earlier this year.

Turkalj opened the first round of the pay-per-view with a couple of fast kicks that were more for show than for damage. After feeling out Turkalj for a bit, Pedro attacked with beautiful, precise combinations that made the crowd go wild. His right hand stunned Turkalj before dropping the Swedish fighter just over two minutes into the opening round.

With the loss, Turkalj falls to 0-3 in the octagon, meaning “The Pleasure Man” may well have competed for the final time inside the octagon. He may also be regretting telling Pedro to ask his wife about his nickname, regardless of how tongue-in-cheek the suggestion might have been. As for Pedro, he bounces back after his loss in Perth back in February.

Official Result: Tyson Pedro def. Anton Turkalj by KO (punches), Round 1, 2:12

The post UFC 293: Tyson Pedro Makes Anton Turkalj’s Night Decidedly Unpleasurable appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I just want to go to war now man. I want to get this over and done with. It’s been a long camp, I just want to punch on, honestly,” Pedro (9-4) said during this week’s media day. “Extreme violence and shocking the world. I just want to put on a good show for Sydney.”

That’s after dropping his last fight, at UFC 284 in Perth, to Modestas Bukauskas, a decision loss that hasn’t sat well with Pedro to say the least. “I feel like I was lacklustre the last one, after obviously being sick, so I want to come in and punch this swear-word guy’s face off.”

Yes, Pedro actually said “swear-word” rather than actually swear. But he let his feelings be known when talking about the time spent away from his family during training camp. He also revealed that he used criticism from the Bukauskas loss as motivation moving forward.

“Obviously I got a bit of hate after the last one, a lot of gambling addicts lost some money on me. Screen-shotted some of their negative comments, and that gave me some drive. I was straight back into camp after I got better,” admitted Pedro. “It was probably my longest pre-camp, then I went to nine weeks of camp now at City Kickboxing. So I miss my family, and this motherf*cker’s been keeping me away from my family.”

That would be Anton Turkalj, a.k.a. “The Pleasure Man,” a nickname that gave Tyson Pedro pause.

“That one caught me off-gaurd. I can’t remember what I was thinking about, but you know when Mike Tyson said, ‘what is it called when violence gets your d*ck hard?’ I was like, you don’t want to fight someone who’s getting their d*ck hard when they’re fighting. So I don’t want to be fighting ‘The Pleasure Man.’ Like, what’s going on here? I was like, maybe we should look into the nickname. I don’t know what that’s about. No pleasuring, please, in the octagon. Afterwards maybe,” Pedro said with a laugh, before adding “No, I’m joking.”

Watch the full UFC 293 media day appearance by Tyson Pedro above.

The post UFC 293: Tyson Pedro Took Screenshots Of Negative Comments from “Gambling Addicts” for Motivation After Last Loss appeared first on Cageside Press.

Pedro had been on a two-fight first round finish streak since his return from a four-year hiatus last year. The UFC’s return to Australia was a perfect opportunity for him to showcase his skills in front of his fellow countrymen. Meanwhile, Bukauskas had been cut from the UFC after a horrific knee injury caused by a kick from Khalil Rountree. Outside the promotion, the ‘Baltic Gladiator’ won back his old belt, the Cage Warriors light heavyweight title and then got his ticket back into the UFC when Tyson Pedro needed an opponent on short notice.

There was a feeling that anything could happen when these two warriors collided.

The first round began with a wild missed spinning kick from Modestas. He switched stances constantly while standing across from the orthodox Pedro. One minute in Bukauskas landed a clean left hook, and then a few seconds later another, bigger one. He was landing clean shots while Pedro hardly landed much of anything.

Bukauskas’ footwork on the outside was able to keep Pedro from trapping him, mostly. Eventually Pedro did get him in the clinch against the fence though. He used his leverage to twist and lift Modestas to the mat, settling in side control. When he tried to elevate to pass the guard, Bukauskas twisted and got to his knees, but Pedro threatened a front choke which he used to put his foe back on the mat. Modestas got to his feet soon after, though Pedro tried to do a fancy trick to get a flying leglock of some sort and failed. Not much happened in the remaining minute until the last five seconds when Bukauskas landed a spinning back kick to the chest and then a big left hand, the biggest strike of the fight thus far.

Round two kicked off with Tyson Pedro breathing heavy and looking tired. Still he came out and landed a leg kick, a tool that had won him his last two fights at least in part. The pace was similar to the first round, careful and considered, but Pedro was landing more strikes now that he was going to the leg kicks. Both fighters only landed upstairs periodically until halfway through the round Pedro threw a teep kick to the belly while Bukauskas was coming forward. The result was a brutal groin strike which crippled the ‘Baltic Gladiator’ momentarily.

Living up to his nickname, Bukauskas only took about thirty seconds to recover before indicating he could continue. He got back to it with a left body kick, but Pedro returned with two body kicks of his own. With a minute left in the round Pedro got into the clinch but Bukauskas did a good job framing off and getting underhooks to keep from being taken down. He reversed the clinch and got outside position, which he used to land while breaking the clinch with twenty seconds left. Bukauskas landed some last few decent shots before the bell sounded.

Both of the first two rounds were close, meaning the scorecards could have been all over the place, so both fighters really needed to take the final round. Pedro opened with a right hand but Bukauskas responded with a cleaner counter shot that snapped the Aussie’s head back. One minute in Pedro came forward with a right hand which he used to enter the clinch in an over/under position. Bukauskas was able to defend the takedown and separate with only slight difficulty.

Bukauskas seemed to have a slight edge on the feet once more, as Pedro by that point had largely gotten away from the leg kicks which made him more competitive in early round two. With two minutes left Pedro did not seem to be going for it much, despite needing to have some urgency in order to win. Bukauskas was somewhat urgent, as he kept a higher pace and kept throwing big 1-2s. With one minute left Pedro clinched up again but Bukauskas got the outside position by the time they got to the fence and landed some knees while there. The clinch broke with twenty seconds left and Bukauskas threw big shots, all of which missed at first. Then, after a clinch initiated by Pedro broke, Bukauskas opened up once more with punches and this time landed. Tyson Pedro circled out to avoid them and thus the clock ran out on the fifteen minutes of fight time.

15 HARD minutes in the books! @tyson_pedro_ and @BalticGladiator take it to the score cards in our #UFC284 Featured Prelim! pic.twitter.com/dzkQ93Ztsp

— UFC (@ufc) February 12, 2023

Bruce Buffer’s reading of the scorecards revealed that all three were unanimous for Modestas Bukauskas. After facing massive adversity with his injury and being cut from the UFC, the ‘Baltic Gladiator’ stayed true to his warrior name and returned at UFC 284 to get a win as an underdog against a highly touted prospect.

Official Result: Modestas Bukauskas def. Tyson Pedro by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

The post UFC 284: Modestas Bukauskas Wins Unanimous Decision in Return Against Tyson Pedro appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Feels good for camp to be over for sure. I felt like fighting for the past three weeks, but it’s exciting to be back on home ground man seeing all the fans. It’s been a vibe even at the airport. Fans coming up and stuff so yeah,” Pedro told reporters on Wednesday.

“Perth’s been good to me so hopefully 2 for 2.”

The last time Pedro fought in Australia he fought Shogun Rua who finished him via TKO. That was in 2018.

“Yeah and he’s (Rua) an asshole because then he retired. I wanted that one back. Obviously it was hard, but it was all supposed to happen for a reason,” Pedro laughed.

“I’m back here now and ready to get it done.”

Pedro was originally set to take on Mingyang Zhang (16-6) who would have been making his UFC debut, but withdrew from the bout. Modestas Bukauskas stepped in for Zhang on short notice returning to the UFC after two fights in Cage Warriors.

“It was a nice change of pace because the last two guys I fought I think got cut from the UFC so it’s good to bring someone back in. It’s actually a better fight I think for the fans anyway. I’m just very glad that he took it on a weeks notice because I still get to get paid,” Pedro said.

Normally an Australian card would also include fan favorite UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa who is known for knockouts and his post-fight celebratory “shoey”. Pedro will be having none of that on Saturday night.

“Hell no. That’s his. It’s disgusting. He can keep that bro, like, that’s not OUR thing, that’s HIS thing,” Pedro laughed.

“Even Laura, she tricked me into a shoey, but like it’s because it was a fresh shoe. Yeah that’s it for me for shoeys.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Tyson Pedro above. Pedro takes on Modestas Bukauskas in the prelims of UFC 284 on Saturday night in Perth, Australia.

The post UFC 284: Tyson Pedro Says Bukauskas Is A More Fan-Friendly Fight appeared first on Cageside Press.