- Nathan Cleary is helping Tyson Pedro train for boxing debut
- Former UFC star is taking on Pakistani Taimoor Khan
Former UFC star Tyson Pedro has recruited NRL superstar Nathan Cleary to help him train for his professional boxing debut – and their latest padwork session has been lively.
The MMA star was originally supposed to face Kris Terzievski in November last year, but a stunning last-minute withdrawal from the Aussie champion saw the fight scrapped.
Pedro has since locked in a dangerous new opponent – undefeated Pakistani boxer Taimoor Khan.
The pair will tangle for the WBC International Bridgerweight Title in on February 26 on the stacked Stan Sport card Nowhere To Run.
Nathan Cleary has been helping his friend Pedro train, with the MMA fighter posting a clip to social media on Sunday morning of the Panthers playmaker holding focus pads.
In the clip, Pedro unleashes lefts and rights on the pads before threatening to throw an overhand shot at Cleary. ‘This is for all the Broncos fans, aye,’ he laughs.
Tyson Pedro has recruited Nathan Cleary to help him train for his professional boxing debut
The Panthers superstar held pads for his friend Pedro this week
Cleary admitted to not knowing much about fighting, but wanted to show his support
Cleary retaliates jokingly with a sharp shot to the body.
The footy star told Nine this week exactly why he has been helping out Pedro.
‘Tyson asked me to come down to give him a few tips for this fight, and while I don’t know much about fighting, I wanted to show my support and get behind him,’ Cleary said.
‘I love how Tyson has been testing himself, not only crossing codes from the MMA world to boxing, but also only going up against dangerous, top 10 opponents instead of taking the easy way out.’
Pedro suffered a series of serious knee injuries that kept him sidelined from the UFC for more than three years.
Tyson’s incredible injury struggles have been widely reported, but what is less widely known are his mental struggles throughout the ordeal.
‘I had a nervous breakdown,’ he revealed in 2022.
Pedro had a great start to his UFC career but hit a major hurdle when a brutal knee injury kept him sidelined for three years
‘I’ve never spoken about this to anyone outside close family but the pressure got too much.
‘I’d had four years worrying about my knee, about money, about providing for my wife and daughter … and now, finally, here was the time where I had to win.
‘So one day I just started drinking, and that was it. I disappeared on a bender for days.’
John Pedro, Tyson’s dad, was instrumental in helping his son through this dark period and getting his training back on track.
