Will Dragon Bring the Heat to ‘Gladiators’ 2024?

On Gladiators, Tyson Pedro is Dragon

Network 10

The end of the year is upon us, and we’re so stoked for 2024. We can’t wait to come up with our New Year resolutions and embrace a reset. But more importantly, we’re excited for Network 10’s Gladiators reboot to drop and for Dragon to enter the ring.

Gladiators was a reality TV comp that ran from 1995 until 1996. In this series, a number of permanent competitors, called Gladiators, battle against a number of one-time contestants, called Challengers. These battles consisted of a series of wrestling matches, obstacle course races, and aerial-based fights. But in 2024, these gauntlets are coming back.

According to Liz Ellis, the co-host of Gladiators 2024, the original series was an icon of nineties Australiana. In a phone call with The Latch, she explained that she wants her reboot to live up to the original show.

“I watched Gladiators when I was about 20,” Liz said. “And remember it being massive. Everyone watched it and talked about it. People just couldn’t believe the fact that these Gladiators, who were larger than life, were also so lippy and so fun.”

“So when we were talking about rebooting Gladiators, that really stuck in my mind. I wanted to make sure that these Gladiators were larger than life, that they really embodied the whole idea of being superhuman.”

Which brings us back to the new Gladiator — Dragon. Will this beast be larger than life? Can they pull off superhuman feats of strength? Here’s what we know about this competitor. 

Who Is Dragon on Gladiators?

On Gladiators, Dragon is performed by Tyson Pedro, a 31-year-old man representing NSW. Tyson is best known for being a UFC Champion, an MMA Fighter, and the son of the renown MMA fighter, John Pedro. Beyond these daunting and impressive details, Tyson has earned seven black belts in combat sports. 

As Dragon, Tyson will approach every fight like an animal. He will enter each event like it’s his last, show no mercy, and scare his opponents with a menacing scream. 

On Instagram, Tyson has been hyping up his Dragon performance. 


“This is one Dragon who can NOT be trained!” Tyson posted, “Gladiators, ready.”

Gladiators is set to premiere at 7.30pm on Monday, January 15, 2024, only on 10 and 10 Play on Demand. Miss its premiere? Catch up on 10 Play.

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