The much-anticipated UFC 293 event is going down in the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, on September 9, 2023. This event is going to turn out to be an exciting one for Australian fans, as it will feature the majority of the fighters from their home country. The Australian light-heavyweight, Tyson Pedro, will return to the octagon to face the Swedish grappler, Anton Turkalj.
In the main event, American middleweight Sean Strickland will challenge the current reigning middleweight king and former Glory kickboxing champion, Israel Adesanya, in the title bout. Another Australian heavyweight, Tai Tuivasa, will enter the squared circle to face the number seven-ranked Russian heavyweight, Alexander Volkov, in the co-main event.
UFC 293 Fight Card 🔥
Main Event: Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland (185lb title bout) 🏆
Co-Main Event: Tai Tuivasa vs Alexander VolkovMain Card & Prelims:
Kai Kara-France vs. Manel Kape
Tyson Pedro vs. Anton Turkalj
Jamie Mullarkey vs. John Makdessi
Carlos Ulberg… pic.twitter.com/859iSRxV4q— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) August 9, 2023
It will be interesting to see whether Tyson Pedro succeeds in overcoming his opponent, Anton Turkalj, at the home event. The Australian mixed martial artist had previously suffered a loss via unanimous decision, succumbing to the pressure in front of the home crowd at UFC 284. Whilst, Anton Turkalj will try to get back on the winning track following his 2 fight losing streak.
UFC 293: Tyson Pedro vs. Anton Turkalj Stats
| Stats | Tyson Pedro | Anton Turkalj |
| Wins | 9 | 8 |
| Losses | 4 | 2 |
| Height | 6’3” | 6’4” |
| Division | Light Heavyweight | Light Heavyweight |
| Reach | 79” | 78” |
Tyson Pedro vs. Anton Turkalj: Fight breakdown and prediction
Tyson Pedro holds a professional MMA record of nine wins against four losses, with our wins coming via knockouts and five via submission. He has been competing in the promotion since 2016 and extended his win streak with two consecutive wins over skilled UFC fighters, including Khalil Roundtree and Paul Craig.
Since then, the Australian mixed martial artist has lost four times out of his last seven outings in the promotion. Pedro’s previous win streak ended after facing Lithuanian light-heavyweight Modestas Bukauskas, who came in on short notice at the UFC 284 card.
On the other hand, Anton Turkalj has accumulated an impressive eight wins against two losses on his resume. The Swedish fighter holds five KO wins and two submission wins, with five first-round finishes. Anton Turkalj was on a four-fight winning streak before his UFC debut. He is currently on a two-fight losing streak, having lost to rising UFC contender Jailton Almeida.
According to the UFC stats, Anton Turkalj lands 1.60 strikes per minute while absorbing 2.18 strikes as compared to Tyson Pedro, who lands 2.96 strikes per minute. Nonetheless, the Swedish light-heavyweight has an impressive takedown average of 6.97 per 15 minutes with 52 percent takedown accuracy, signifying a better ground game. In his last fight, Anton Turkalj went toe-to-toe against fellow skilled UFC fighter Vitor Petrino.
Given Anton’s grappling and recent performances, if Turkalj gets the bout to the mat, he has the chance to come out victorious. Anton Turkalj will win against Tyson Pedro via TKO.
