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Camera Catches UFC Hall of Famer Laughing as He Pins Drunk Jerk Trying To Fight Him

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You’ve probably heard the saying: “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”

The point of the tongue-in-cheek phrase is simple. Actions have consequences, and whether it’s trying to block traffic with your body or pointing a gun at police officers, the results of those incredibly stupid decisions are pretty predictable.

Matt Serra knows a few things about “winning prizes,” but his came more from hard work than stupidity. He’s a well-known name within UFC mixed-martial arts fighting and won the welterweight championship in 2007.

Considering the fact that the now-retired UFC Hall of Fame fighter has been studying martial arts for close to three decades, it’s probably a bad idea to “play stupid games” when he’s around.

One drunk customer in a Las Vegas restaurant, however, didn’t get that memo, and it ended exactly how you probably expect.

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A post shared by Matt Serra (@mattserrabjj) on

During a recent trip to the entertainment capital, a patron who clearly had too much to drink apparently became disruptive at a high-class restaurant. The drunk may have been able to bully the waiters, but they were no match for one of the best MMA fighters of a generation.

“UFC lifer Matt Serra is in Las Vegas to check out this weekend’s fights and also for his induction into the Pioneer wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. What better way to kick things off than subduing a raging drunk with comical ease?” asked Deadspin, which reported on the incident.

Do you think Serra used appropriate force in this situation?

“According to a video Serra posted last night, the drunk guy was threatening waiters before trying to swing on Serra. This prompted Serra to show off his world-class jiu-jitsu skills and sit on the dude until the law came calling,” the sports news site continued.

In a video that had over 85,000 likes as of Thursday evening, Serra was shown laughing while subduing the out-of-control man as customers looked on and clapped.

Call it an unfair fight: The UFC champ literally sat on the intoxicated patron and didn’t seem to be breaking a sweat even as insults flew. “Calm down, calm down,” he could be heard saying.

“I’m gonna f–k you up!” the apparently combative man shouted as the veteran fighter restrained him with the ease of an adult taking down a school kid.

Serra calmly handed the man over to security officers who finally arrived after the fight was well over.

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On one hand, it’s pretty humorous to see a drunk patron mistakenly believe that he can take on a one-time UFC champion who still has most of his skills.

At the same time, however, there are a few serious lessons to be learned from the video.

One of them is how long it took security to arrive and sort out the mess. The Vegas location where the incident took place most likely has dedicated security staff on site, yet it was still a relatively long time before they were able to respond.

The response time for actual police officers would no doubt be even longer, which could seem like an eternity if this was a more dangerous attack or if the belligerent man had been armed.

It may be a funny video to watch knowing how it turns out, but there was probably a period of fear or even panic in the restaurant before Serra stepped in. Crime and altercations can occur anywhere, yet far too many people mistakenly believe that it will never happen to them, or police will instantly arrive in an emergency.

The reality, as this footage shows, is that citizens may sometimes need to defend themselves or others. They may need to take action during an incident like this, or use medical skills in an emergency. Mental and physical preparedness are important assets.

Having the correct tools — whether it’s a concealed firearm where legal or less-lethal items like pepper spray — can also act as force multipliers in a bad situation.

After all, not everyone can have a UFC champ and jiu-jitsu master on hand to end incidents — but it sure is handy when one is around.

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Benjamin Arie is an independent journalist and writer. He has personally covered everything ranging from local crime to the U.S. president as a reporter in Michigan before focusing on national politics. Ben frequently travels to Latin America and has spent years living in Mexico.




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