Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Farah Hannoun

Tyson Pedro returns from three-year layoff, meets Ike Villanueva at UFC Fight Night on April 23

Tyson Pedro will return to action for the first time since December 2018.

Pedro (7-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) faces Ike Villanueva (18-13 MMA, 1-4 UFC) at a UFC Fight Night event on April 23 which doesn’t yet have a publicly known venue or location.

A person with knowledge of the booking confirmed the news to MMA Junkie after an initial report by Eurosport NL but asked to remain anonymous because the promotion has yet to make a formal announcement.

Pedro hasn’t competed in more than three years. The 30-year-old Australian underwent knee reconstruction surgery in 2019 to repair an injury which he suffered in his last octagon appearance, a third-round TKO loss to Mauricio Rua at UFC Fight Night 142 in December 2018.

Villanueva has struggled since joining the UFC roster in May 2020. The former Fury FC light heavyweight champion has lost four of his past five, with his lone octagon win coming in a second-round knockout of Vinicius Moreira at UFC on ESPN 20 in January 2021.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for April 23 includes:

  • Jessica Andrade vs. Amanda Lemos
  • Louis Cosce vs. Preston Parsons
  • Cameron Else vs. Aori Qileng
  • Clay Guida vs. Claudio Puelles
  • Dean Barry vs. Mike Jackson
  • Maycee Barber vs. Montana De La Rosa
  • Tyson Pedro vs. Ike Villanueva
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.