Modestas Bukaukas admitted he was overcome with emotion when the UFC called for him to fight Tyson Pedro on less than three weeks' notice.
Bukauskas, 28, was cut by the UFC just a month after suffering a severe knee injury in his September 2021 loss to Khalil Rountree Jr. The Lithuanian-born Brit went 1-3 in the promotion, with his lone win coming in his debut as he knocked out crafty veteran Andreas Michailidis. Bukauskas was then stopped by Jimmy Crute in his next fight and lost a controversial decision to Michał Oleksiejczuk before facing Rountree Jr.
Since the knee injury that ended his first UFC stint, Bukauskas has won two fights in Cage Warriors and reclaimed his light-heavyweight title for the promotion last December. The 28-year-old was about to sign a contract to defend his belt in March, but that's when the UFC called for him to fight Tyson Pedro in Australia on February 11.
