Tyson Pedro says he had some health issues going into UFC 284.
Pedro (9-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) lost a unanimous decision to Modestas Bukauskas (14-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in their light heavyweight bout this past Saturday at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, where he started to slow down after a back-and-forth first round.
That’s because the 31-year-old Aussie says he was dealing with gastroenteritis, commonly referred to as a stomach flu, the day before the fight, which compromised him while he competed. After receiving heavy criticism from fans online, Pedro decided to address what happened.
“The night before my fight, I contracted gastro,” Pedro said in a video posted to Instagram. “It was extreme diarrhea and vomiting for the whole night. When the UFC bus came, I was still on the toilet ground vomiting and if you want to confirm it, you can ask the USADA guy who had to sit there watching me sh*t nonstop while he was trying to take my piss.”
The loss snapped Pedro’s two-fight winning streak.
The returning Bukauskas has now won three straight since being released by the UFC in late 2021 – including capturing the vacant Cage Warriors light heavyweight title.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.
