Pedro, who competed in the UFC from 2016 until earlier this month for seven years, left the UFC with a record of 10 wins and five defeats, with five wins coming by knockout and five wins by submission.
Danny Green, the founder of Green Machine Promotions and a former WBA light-heavyweight champion, unveiled the former UFC contender at a press conference in Sydney, Australia.
Dual-code rugby international Sonny Bill Williams was in attendance alongside former world champions Billy Dib and Anthony Mundine as Pedro confirmed his decision to become a professional boxer.
Despite Pedro’s fighting career mostly taking place in MMA, the Perth-based fighter does have some boxing experience, having boxed as an amateur and winning a New South Wales State amateur title in his youth.
Speaking at the press conference in Sydney, Pedro conceded that he did not expect his retirement to be so short but he had ambitions about competing in boxing before he retired from MMA.
“I didn’t think my retirement was going to be this short,” Pedro joked. “I have always had ideas about entering boxing and those ideas are now moving a lot faster than I had ever dreamed. It’s very exciting times.
“I’m not going to be taking easy fights. Danny and I already have a plan for who I will fight. I am definitely not coming to take easy fights because I want to be in exciting fights. I want to be involved in good boxing cards from the top all the way down to the bottom.
“This is my opportunity to enter boxing, so I don’t want to take anything away from it because I also want to give back to it. That means putting on good events and giving young fighters opportunities because that is my goal, too.”
Promoter Green said Pedro would make his professional debut in the recently created bridgerweight division.
Despite Pedro being 32, Green the long-term ambitions his new signing had, including the possibility of becoming the WBC world cruiserweight champion.
“He’s had a vision that he wanted to be the WBC’s cruiserweight champion,” said Green. “Tyson [Pedro] had this vision six years ago. He had a vision board and he sent a message to his coach about it that had the WBC belt on it.
“He [Pedro] wants to tear through the [bridgerweight] division to make a statement and not take easy fights.
“He wants to take on guys who are a serious challenge, and that’s what’s going to capture people’s imagination.”