Video – United States: A crocodile wanders in the street, and a veteran mixed martial arts fan catches it with his bare hands

On April 21, Mike Dragic Rescue was called to control an alligator that was roaming a neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida.

The US Army veteran and mixed martial arts enthusiast defeated the 2.40-metre-tall animal with his bare hands, as astonished bystanders watched.

Not all heroes wear capes. Mike Dragic, a US Army veteran, is a celebrity in Florida. Known on Instagram by his nickname Blue collar melee (“Blue-collar brawler”, in French), the 34-year-old former Marine with a fit body takes up a spare-time activity that is as dangerous as it is unusual: a sworn alligator hunter. This mixed martial arts (MMA) enthusiast is regularly called to the rescue by local authorities to exorcise these reptiles.

Florida media reported that the mayor of Jacksonville asked the man on Sunday, April 21, while an alligator more than 2.40 meters long was wandering through a downtown neighborhood. News4JAX. After leaving a hockey game, which he was attending nearby with his family, Mike Dragic immediately stepped in, without taking the time to return home to pick up his equipment.

Armed with his courage, this Crocodile Dandy In modern times, it only took a few seconds to subdue the beast, under the suspicious eyes of locals. The mixed martial arts fighter, wearing shorts, a tank top and a hat pointed at his head, grabbed the animal with his bare hands, holding it in submission.

“I was at a hockey game with my family and I got an emergency call about an alligator.”Tell Fox News Which he claims to be “A true Florida gentleman.” “I saw the alligator signal over the city (a reference to the Batman signal, editor's note) and I knew I was needed (laughs). (…) I didn't catch it, I didn't catch it in a more professional way by the way, I didn't have my equipment with me, but I adapted and caught it with my bare hands “He explained emphatically “not to get hurt” Animal.

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A surreal intervention for ordinary people, but almost routine for this father of four, who founded an association to prevent suicides of military veterans. He posts videos at regular intervals showing him encountering the reptiles. At the end of May 2023, this major hunting enthusiast made local headlines by catching a crocodile more than 3 meters long that had entered the courtyard of an elementary school.