Robert Whittaker is making the move up to light heavyweight this weekend and a training partner of the former UFC middleweight champion has weighed in on Whittaker’s divisional shift at UFC 329. The referenced combatant is Tyson Pedro, who will clash with Rafael Xavier at PFL Washington on July 25th. Pedro is also someone who has had several high profile fights at light heavyweight in the UFC with notable wins over Khalil Rountree Jr and Paul Craig in the octagon.

Tyson Pedro and Robert Whittaker have gotten in steady work at City Kickboxing with shared anecdotal experiences to where Pedro will get in work with Whittaker as he now readies to fight in a third weight category. Considering his localized insights into fighting as a 205 pounder in the context of Whittaker moving up to that weight class to fight Nikita Krylov on July 11th, Pedro said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

“Yeah, it’s been a bit of a full circle moment because I started training with Rob [Whittaker], I think it was my second fight in the UFC. So for now to; Oh, well now it’s my second fight in the PFL and he’s come back and I’m training with him. That’s pretty trippy. I’m just thinking about it now. But he’s a pretty amazing guy. Like one of the friendliest gentlemen that you’ll meet but also one of the most dangerous. He was pretty on this training camp.”

Robert Whittaker has “always walked around real heavy”, per Tyson Pedro pre-UFC 329

Further delving into his experiences honing skills through the years with Robert Whittaker, Pedro continued [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

“We got in some really good work and like it’s not really changed anything. Because I think he was about the same weight when I was training with him at first when he was still cutting to middleweight and welterweight. So, he’s always walked around real heavy, but I’m super excited to see him fight. One thing you can just never gauge until you are actually in front of him is his speed over distance. His ability to close the distance so fast is pretty remarkable.”