Former UFC star Tyson Pedro has announced he will make a shock switch to boxing professionally – and Australian boxing legend Danny Green believes he will be a success.
The 32-year-old UFC veteran announced he was hanging up the gloves earlier in the month following a unanimous decision loss to Vitor Petrino in the co-main event of Vegas 87.
On Wednesday morning, Pedro called a press conference in Sydney to announce his move to boxing, saying the sport was his first passion.
‘I’ve been into boxing since I was a kid,’ said Pedro, who was a successful amateur.
‘But I’ve only been confident about coming back to it for just the last year.
‘It’s been on my mind for a long time.’
UFC star Tyson Pedro has announced he will make a shock switch to boxing professionally – and he has the backing of Aussie great Danny Green (pictured together on Wednesday)
The 32-year-old announced he was hanging up his MMA gloves earlier this month and has been eyeing a switch to a sport that he’s very passionate about
Pedro will be joining the stable of Aussie boxing great Danny Green, and the former four-time world champion likes what he sees.
‘His passion has always been boxing,’ said Green.
‘I knew that he was an amateur champion, he went 5-0 before he went into MMA. Combat sports runs through this kid’s veins.’
‘He told he he always wanted to be a world champion boxer.
‘It made perfect sense. He’s an exciting guy, he’s got the x-factor, he’s powerful.
‘He obsesses over what he does – and that’s important in this sport. He’s going to be fighting guys who are far more advanced in the sport of boxing.’
Pedro will be fighting at bridgerweight – a new weight division that sits between the WBC’s heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions.
Green says that while the former MMA star is not young, but he’s definitely not battle-worn in terms of boxing.
Green (pictured with UFC star Jack Della Maddalena) says the move makes perfect sense
Green says Pedro is serious about boxing and wants to make a statement in the sport
‘He’s had a vision that he wants to be the WBC’s cruiserweight champion,’ said Green.
‘Tyson had this vision six years ago, he had a vision board and sent a message to his coach about it. He had the WBC belt on.
‘He wants to tear through the division, he wants to make a statement, he doesn’t want to take easy fights.
‘He wants to take on guys who are a serious challenge and that’s what’s going to capture people’s imagination.’