Two of Australia’s top MMA prospects aren’t leaving the UFC anytime soon because Ariel Helwani of ESPN is eporting that both Tai Tuivasa and Tyson Pedro have signed new deals with the promotion.
There is no word yet as to how much each fighters are getting paid now or for the length of each contract.
Tuivasa (8-0-0) has competed three times under the UFC banner, defeating the trio of Rashad Coulter, Cyril Asker and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski. Tuivasa has seen just one of his professional MMA bouts go the distance and that came against aforementioned Arlovski at UFC 225. Tuivasa also won five bouts before signing with the UFC and one of those victories came over UFC veteran James McSweeney.
Pedro (7-2-0) has won three of five in the UFC, with those wins coming over Khalil Rountree, Paul Craig and Saparbek Safarov. Pedro has seen four of the five bouts he fought at within the UFC end in the opening round and the fighter holds a 3-1-0 record in those encounters. Pedro has suffered two defeats as a professional MMA fighter, but he has yet to be beaten by way of KO/TKO.
Helwani also reports that Tuivasa could be headlining the UFC’s return to Beijing, China later this year against either former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos or Marcin Tybura. While Tuivasa’s potential future opponent could be known soon, no word has been given yet as to when Pedro could return to action.
