Tyson Pedro vs. Taimoor Khan result: Former UFC star makes winning start to boxing career with hometown KO

Tyson Pedro’s professional boxing debut was a successful one thanks to a seventh-round knockout victory over the previously undefeated Taimoor Khan at Panthers Leagues Club on Wednesday night.

The former UFC star had waited a long time for his maiden bout but looked every bit at home against Pakistan’s Khan, who came into the contest with a 15-0 professional record.

After a willing opening few rounds, Pedro took the ascendancy and, despite some stiff resistance and a solid set of whiskers on his opponent, eventually secured the stoppage.

MORE: Tim Tszyu’s return confirmed as details locked in for Joey Spencer fight

“This is the smallest crowd I’ve fought in front of for a long time but this is the biggest fight of my life,” an emotional Pedro said after the fight.

Now trained by three-division world champion Jeff Fenech, Pedro can set his sights firmly on a world title in the newly created bridgerweight division.

“There’s been a lot of people that have been trying to break my Australian record where I won a world title in my seventh fight,” Fenech said.

“I think I’m going be training the guy that beats my record.”

Asked what’s next, Pedro said any opponent which gets him closer to the world title, before adding, “but I wouldn’t mind getting Jake Paul back for the ‘Tysons,'” in reference to Mike Tyson’s unsuccessful comeback last year.

Pedro was the busier of the pair early, mixing in jabs, to the body and head, and combinations while Khan waited on the overhand right.

Later, the Aussie found the target with a left hook and looked to have Khan hurt late in the opener to settle any first-timer nerves.

That Khan right hand connected well mid-way through the second round but Pedro appeared to shake it off well enough.

A straight right broke through Khan’s guard early in the third before Pedro then clubbed around his opponent’s defences with another right, sparking some willing exchanges at close range, with the hometown fighter getting the better of them.

The fourth was fought mostly at long range, with Pedro pressing the action and Khan fighting mostly off the back foot, although he landed enough power shots to keep the debutant honest.

Pedro’s output had slowed somewhat by the fifth, with Khan’s extra experience showing at some points, however a strong finish to the round following a barrage of right hands swung it the local’s way.

Khan’s durability was a feature as the fight entered the second half, shaking off countless big shots only to rally just enough to stop the Pedro onslaught.

The dam wall finally broke in the seventh round when Pedro rocked Khan with yet another right hand before swarming and sending his opponent to the canvas for the first and only time, sparking an emotional celebration from the 33-year-old.

In the chief support, Jackson England got the job done early back in front of his home crowd in Penrith, rearranging Sukpasried Ponphitak’s internal organs with a devastating first-round body shot KO.

England perfectly timed a left rip to the Thai veteran’s mid-section, leaving his opponent writhing in agony on the canvas before failing to beat the referee’s count.

While Jackson was able to add to his win tally in no time at all, the same couldn’t be said for the participants in the first three bouts.

To open the night, Alex Ale and Rama Pattison fought to a majority draw, Jake Wyllie and Allan Villanueva was declared a No Contest following a cut caused by an accidental head clash in the third round, while Alex Leapai Jnr. and Tim Tusa shared the spoils with a split draw.