PERTH, Australia – Modestas Bukauskas beat Tyson Pedro with a unanimous decision Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC 284 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
Take a look inside the fight with Bukauskas, who returned to the UFC on short notice after a two-fight stint away in which he won Cage Warriors’ light heavyweight title.
Modestas Bukauskas vs. Tyson Pedro
Result: Modestas Bukauskas def. Tyson Pedro via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Bukauskas (14-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC), Tyson Pedro (9-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC)
Key stat: After three straight losses got him bounced from the UFC in 2021, Bukauskas now is back in the UFC and is on a three-fight winning streak.
Bukauskas on the fight's key moment
“I was hoping to catch him with particular shots a little cleaner, but I definitely felt like I landed one or two solid shots. I wanted to show my skill set more and show the switching of stances, which I’ve never done before, which I’ve been working a hell of a lot on since my knee injury. It’s harder because he’s got a heavy right kick. … I’m glad I was able to neutralize the grappling at the beginning.”
Bukauskas on winning in his UFC return
“(This is the biggest win of my career), especially considering what I had to go through to get to this point – after suffering one of the worst knee injuries in MMA, to be counted out and people saying I’d never compete again, then coming back to Cage Warriors, winning their belt for the second time, and getting signed to the UFC on two weeks’ notice to fight an absolutely spectacular competitor Tyson Pedro is – an absolute animal of a fighter. … But I’m absolutely elated.”
Bukauskas on what he wants next
“(Light heavyweight) has changed massively (since I was in the UFC before). You’ve got Glover Teixeira retiring, you’ve got Jamahal Hill as the champion. … It’s a very exciting light heavyweight division. There’s a load of amazing fights, and I’m looking forward to making my mark in the division.”
To hear more from Bukauskas, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.
