Australian MMA veteran Tyson Pedro will look to get back on track in his pursuit of the PFL Light Heavyweight Championship when he takes on Rafael Xavier in his second fight with the promotion on July 25.
After a brief stint in boxing which saw him capture a WBC International title, Pedro returned to MMA for the first time in two years when he faced the PFL’s second-ranked light heavyweight contender, Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov.
Despite a strong performance in which he came close to finishing the fight in the final round, Pedro ultimately fell short, losing by unanimous decision.
While the result wasn’t what he wanted, the Aussie believes there were plenty of positives to take away, particularly given the calibre of opponent he was facing after such a lengthy layoff.
“I was really happy with (the fight vs Yagshimuradov) and the whole experience with PFL,” Pedro told Fight News Australia.
“I had a good experience travelling [to Belfast] and fighting for the company for the first time.
“To fight one of the baddest dudes on the roster in my first fight after a two-year layoff, I was really happy with my performance.
“It obviously sucks losing, but I just need to go in there and go again.”
TYSON PEDRO NEARLY ENDS IT BUT DOVLET YAGSHIMURADOV REFUSES TO QUIT 😱#PFLBelfast | Thursday, April 16th | SSE Arena | Belfast, N. Ireland | LIVE NOW on ESPN 2 pic.twitter.com/d3gZv4BZRG
— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 16, 2026
Pedro regarded his PFL debut as his favourite fight of his career in a statement made on his Instagram, something that may have surprised many fight fans considering his career spans more than a decade.
However, the adversity he overcame during the contest, combined with his renewed passion for the sport, is why the bout with Yagshimuradov stands out above the rest.
“He hit so hard, I had to go through a bit of adversity to get through the fight,” Pedro said.
“At one point I couldn’t see out of my left eye and then in the second round, I couldn’t see out of my right eye. I saw six of him.
“A lot was happening in the fight and I think I still had a good performance. It’s always fun to have a good, hard fight.”
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Pedro is set to face the PFL’s No. 10-ranked light heavyweight, Rafael Xavier, who enters the contest following a loss to Rasul Magomedov in May.
The bout marks one of the quickest turnarounds of Pedro’s professional career.
The decision to return so quickly came after a conversation with his legendary coach Eugene Bareman, who encouraged him to stay as active as possible while he still has time left in the sport.
In a previous interview with Dan Hardy before his PFL debut, Pedro revealed he has no intention of fighting beyond the age of 38. Before he hangs up the gloves for good, the Aussie still has his sights firmly set on making one final run at championship gold.
With those title ambitions still intact, a win over Xavier would move Pedro one step closer to a light heavyweight title shot.
“Eugene [Bareman] has given me ‘the old man talk’,” Pedro laughed.
“He told me that I’m getting older now and to try and get in as many fights as I can. He told me to ‘make sure that it’s your choice to stop, not because your body’s told you to stop’.
“I’m going to try and stay as active as I can and just keep fighting the best people that I can. Everyone’s dangerous in the light heavyweight division, no matter who you’re fighting.
“I want to get on top of the PFL ladder.
“[Xavier] has got good offence, but my team’s found some flaws that they think we can exploit.”
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Pedro is also one of the more notable Oceania signings for the PFL, with the promotion announcing the launch of the PFL Pacific League in May last year as part of its plans to expand its presence throughout the region.
The prospect of competing on home soil is one that excites the Aussie, who hopes to play a role in growing the sport alongside the promotion.
“Obviously I’d like to fight in Sydney, my hometown. It’s really exciting to bring the PFL to Australia and I’d love to be a part of it.”
“I’d love to help build the MMA scene with the PFL. I think that would be really cool to push the young generation coming through because there’s a lot of good fighters coming out.”
With renewed motivation, a clear goal in sight, and the backing of one of the sport’s most respected coaches, Pedro is eager to prove he is still in the mix with the PFL’s elite light heavyweights.
The PFL is available to watch in Australia via Stan Sport and in New Zealand via Sky Sport.
