UFC 293: ‘The VB of Western Sydney’ — Tai Tuivasa, Tyson Pedro, Nathan Cleary have big plans for Drink West
UFC fighters Tai Tuivasa and Tyson Pedro have massive plans out of the octagon, along with NRL star Nathan Cleary.
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It’s a big weekend for three of Western Sydney’s favourite athletes, with Nathan Cleary, Tai Tuivasa and Tyson Pedro all playing finals footy or fighting within 24 hours of each other.
Panthers halfback Cleary will lead the two-time defending champions against the Warriors on Saturday afternoon, before Tuivasa and Pedro fight at UFC 293 at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday.
The proud products of Western Sydney are also partners in Drink West beer and have stakes in a bar and brewery in Penrith.
An easy drinking lager, Drink West started as a fun idea between old mates Tuivasa and Pedro more than four years ago.
As it continues to fly off the shelves and becomes embedded in the culture, Tuivasa says he wants it to be famous the world over.
“I want to make it as big as VB one day,” Tuivasa tells this masthead ahead of his co-main event fight with Alexander Volkov on Sunday. “Victoria Bitter is known worldwide and it’s very famous.
“I want Drink West to be known, and for it to be something to be proud of.
“This was the plan, that’s why we started it.”
Pedro has similarly grand plans, but slightly different memories of how it all began.
“I want to say we had a plan, but there was no plan, brother, it was just, ‘Let’s try doing a beer’,” Pedro tells this masthead. “It’s pretty much been making it up as we go, so if Tai’s told you otherwise, call bullshit on that.”
Indeed, after sampling a few different recipes and styles of beer, the first batch of Drink West, released as a tester in 2019, was nearly undrinkable.
“There was a few trial and errors,” Tuivasa laughs. “But I think life is about trial and error.”
Eventually they refined the recipe to something sports fans could drink on the hill all day at the footy, and it started selling out.
That led into the idea of starting a brewery, and it’s when Pedro realised how big the side hustle had become.
“There was a certain point, when we raised $2 million in six days to build the brewery that we knew it was going to be something,” he says. “We gave up a certain amount of shares in the company, so it wasn’t just a crowd fund.
“And that’s been one of my biggest goals, to try and get those investors that believed in us five times their money back.”
That’s also when Cleary became more involved.
Pedro says he has been soaking up Cleary’s knowledge and experience, and the State of Origin playmaker even attended UFC 282 in Las Vegas with Pedro and Tuivasa last year.
“I think he’s learning a lot as well,” Tuivasa says. “We want him to have as much input as he wants to have, and he gets involved.”
Pedro adds: “He’s a big star in Penrith, but he’s also one of the boys, so it fits perfectly.
“That’s what it’s about, just having a go.”
On Saturday, the Drink West Brewery will be jam-packed with fans heading to watch the footy, and a day later, it’ll be nearly standing room only again as Tuivasa and Pedro step into the Octagon.
As for how far they can take it, Tuivasa looks to Mick Fanning’s sale of Balter in 2019 for inspiration.
“It’s something I care about and it means a lot to me, so I definitely want to keep growing it, but if they come in and snap us up for $200 million, book the ticket, book the plane,” he says.
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Originally published as UFC 293: ‘The VB of Western Sydney’ — Tai Tuivasa, Tyson Pedro, Nathan Cleary have big plans for Drink West
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