Written by Mitchell Goodbar, Dailymail.Com
02:05 April 23, 2024, updated 02:11 April 23, 2024
A Florida MMA fighter used his bare hands to subdue an 8-foot alligator that was crawling through a street on Jacksonville's North Side on Sunday night.
Mike Dragic, 34, known as the “Blue Collar Brawler,” was attending a nearby hockey game with his family when the sheriff's office called for a report of a nuisance alligator.
Dragic, a certified alligator trapper and military veteran, didn't have his trapping equipment with him at the game, but he answered the call anyway and drove to a local shopping plaza, where he spotted the alligator growling. did.
Dragic was able to subdue the large crocodile using his bare hands and feet and capture it without any equipment.
Video taken at the scene shows the crocodile staggering across the road, with the trapper chasing it on foot.
Dragic was seen sneaking up behind the croc, then leaping onto the croc's back and pinning him down by the neck. The enraged crocodile's jaws snapped open and a hissing sound could be heard.
The veteran then pushed the crocodile's head down with great force until it was flat on the ground.
Dragic lifted the crocodile's jaw and deftly wrapped its mouth shut with special tape.
After subduing the eight-foot giant, the “blue-collar brawler” hoisted the alligator and marched down the highway with the thrashing creature in his arms.
Spectators could be seen flocking to the streets to catch a glimpse of the local hero. Many bystanders had their cell phones out and were recording the entire scene.
“The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office alerted the FWC to an alligator emergency and I was dispatched. There were five minutes left before the game started, so I literally left the game, caught the alligator, and then returned to the game. ” Dragic said.
April is the beginning of the crocodile mating season, so similar incidents occur frequently throughout this month.
Dragic has gained a reputation for his daring crocodile removals and has amassed tens of thousands of followers online.
Last June, the veteran mixed martial artist was sent to remove an aggressive 10-foot alligator from a parking lot near Jacksonville Elementary School. Dragic once again relied on his bare hands to wrestle the giant reptile in front of a cheering crowd.
“I really felt like I was Batman,” he told FOX 35 Orlando.
“We're there.'' I went through the gate. And boom. There were people in the parking lot ready to leave right away, so we just finished work,” he added.
Video of the incident shows the giant alligator biting Dragic as he tried to grab his tail.
Wearing a muscle shirt, he is seen fighting on the grass in front of screaming onlookers, trying to hold it down using a catchpole.
The local veteran wraps the loop at the end of the pole around the crocodile's neck.
The animal can be seen rolling in circles desperately trying to shake off its enemies.
With the capture rod still draped around the gator's neck, Dragic and several Jacksonville firefighters jumped onto the gator's shoulders and sat down to hold it down.
“A lot of fighters understand that you're nervous when you go to the cage, but once the cage door closes, you have to concentrate. Honestly, that's what I remember from that night. “Dragic said.
Dragic has made the most of his fame by drawing attention to Project Savior Outdoors, a nonprofit he founded that provides retreats for military veterans to prevent suicide. .
According to the nonprofit's mission statement, its purpose is to “fight PTSD and veteran suicide through the outdoors.”
“Our prayer is that all veterans build community, have purpose, and stand against the darkness.”
