Difficult to get into the UFC? Check out how Tyson Pedro cut the line by simply hitting up Dana White
UFC light heavyweight Tyson Pedro has revealed he got into the UFC by just calling out the promotion's president Dana White.
Numerous fighters around the globe struggle to get into the UFC, the topmost MMA organization in the world. However, Tyson Pedro's journey into the multi-billion dollar promotion was a bit different.
In his fourth professional MMA bout, Pedro defeated Stephen Warby via first-round submission at Australian FC 17 in October 2016. During his post-fight interview, Pedro mentioned the UFC Fight Night event that was scheduled to take place a month later in Melbourne. Pedro called out White, asking for a spot on the fight card, which was set to be headlined by a middleweight clash between Robert Whittaker and Derek Brunson.
"They’ve got a show in November and if someone pulls out at light heavyweight, I’m there. I’ve been training hard and I’m ready to go Dana."[H/t The Daily Star]
Luke Rockhold vs. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza, a matchup that was supposed to take place on the Melbourne card, was scrapped after the American suffered an injury.
This provided Pedro an opportunity as White offered for him to take on Khalil Rountree Jr. on three weeks' notice.
#UFCMelbourne results: Tyson Pedro def. Khalil Rountree via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 4:07 bit.ly/2gxSo5Q https://t.co/8dBgnP1Rwx
Pedro rose to the occasion and defeated Rountree Jr. in the first round with a rear-naked choke. He was also named among the winners of the Performance of the Night bonus and took home an additional check of $60,000.
How has Tyson Pedro fared after being called up to the UFC by Dana White?
Tyson Pedro has been a part of nine UFC fights and has gotten his hand raised in five of them. During his run, the 31-year-old has competed against the likes of Ilir Latifi, Paul Craig, Ovince Saint Preux, and Mauricio Rua.
In his most recent UFC outing, Pedro went up against Modestas Bukauskas at UFC 284, which took place in February this year in Perth, Australia. He lost the contest via unanimous decision.
Although no official announcement has been made regarding Pedro's next fight, the 31-year-old has hinted at a possible timeline for his return.
In a post uploaded to his Instagram account, Pedro stated that he has signed a fight contract for UFC 293, which is scheduled to take place in Sydney, Australia in September.