On the same night Francis Ngannou steps up in class against Junior dos Santos, Australia’s Tyson Pedro will make the same move in a fight against rugged light-heavyweight contender Ilir Latifi, announced today for September 9 in Edmonton, Canada.
Pedro, like Ngannou, is considered one of the hottest prospects in the UFC right now and, at 25, still has plenty of time on his side. It’s a sign of his ambition, therefore, that he’s willing to fight a man like Latifi, someone who has won three or his last four fights in the UFC, in only his third UFC appearance.
It’s been a case of so far, so good for Pedro in his two-fight UFC career. He has swept aside both Khalil Rountree and and Paul Craig inside a round – the first via submission, the second via TKO – and has more than lived up to the hype that has followed the Sydney man each and every time he has set foot inside the Octagon.
Sweden’s Latifi, now 33, was beaten by Ryan Bader last time out, but, before that, had put together a series of wins against Gian Villante, Sean O’Connell and Hans Stringer, the latter two coming via knockout. He remains a strong, sturdy and dependable light-heavyweight contender, one more than capable of testing Pedro’s talent and credentials on September 9.
