Tyson Pedro’s professional boxing debut has been cancelled after the former UFC star suffered an injury in training.
A former standout amateur boxer, Pedro was set to return to the ring to take on reigning Australian heavyweight champion Kris Terzievski.
Unfortunately, a fractured elbow, as reported by WWOS, has seen the bout postponed, with no replacement date locked in as yet.
MORE: Which Australians currently hold world titles?
“This is not the result anyone wanted,” promoter and former world champion Danny Green said in a statement.
“Tyson’s a born fighter and was as ready as I’ve ever seen anyone, but the nature of his injury means he has a long road to recovery ahead of him and I wish him all the best for that.
“As a promoter, I can’t put on a second-rate show though, so cancelling was the right call.
“But rest assured, Tyson will be back, hungrier than ever – and we’ll be ready to stage the event of the ages when he does.”
A win for either man would have put them right at the pointy end of the newly created bridgerweight division.
Rising star Alex Winwood was set to continue his charge towards a world title against experienced Filipino, Joey Canoy.
Here’s everything you need to know about the now-cancelled event:
The pair were set to meet on Wednesday, June 12.
Pedro last competed on March 2, dropping a decision loss to Vitor Petrino in what turned out to be his final UFC appearance.
Terzievski is coming off an eighth round TKO victory in December.
The event was set to be a Stan pay-per-view exclusive.
If rescheduled, subscribers to the streaming service can purchase “Uncaged” through the event tab on the app.
The pay-per-view price had been set at $60.
Fans will require an active Stan subscription to purchase the event, although the platform does offer free 30-day trials.
Pedro vs. Terzievski was due to take place at the iconic Hordern Pavilion in Sydney.
Located in Moore Park, just metres from the Sydney Cricket Ground, the venue has hosted some historic boxing events, including world title fights featuring legendary Sydneysider Jeff Fenech.
Odds are not currently available for this fight.
Check back closer to the rescheduled date for updated markets.
The following fights had been confirmed prior to the cancellation:
The bridgerweight division might be best described as super cruiserweight. The weight limit is 224 pounds, with the idea being that smaller heavyweights no longer need to tackle behemoths, such as 270-pound WBC champ Tyson Fury, if they want to win a title.
In November 2020, the WBC issued a press release explaining their decision to implement an 18th weight class into professional boxing.
“We have decided to create a new division, called ‘Bridger,’ as it is the necessary bridge to serve the large number of boxers who are between 200 and 224 pounds.”
Read more about boxing’s newest division here.
