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Of all the people out there to start a street fight with, UFC fighters are surely at the very bottom of the list. However, there are several times where, be it due to ignorance, alcohol consumption or over confidence, random members of the public have decided to pick a fight with a UFC athlete.
In the following list we will go over three instances of unprovoked attacks against UFC fighters on the street.
#3 Tom DeBlass - Former UFC middleweight
Former UFC and Bellator fighter Tom DeBlass was able to demonstrate just why Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is such an effective martial art for self defense. According to a post on DeBlass' Facebook page, he came across a drunken individual attempting to fight someone else.
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When DeBlass attempted to calm the situation, the intoxicated man took his shirt off and began to attempt to begin a fight. However, DeBlass was able to control the man's hands and was able to calm him down before any proper violence occurred.
DeBlass' statement as well as video footage from the event can be seen below:
“So this just happened at Walmart. This guy was trying to fight a guy and I broke it up. He then took off his shirt and got aggressive with me. Some may think he picked the worst guy to pick a fight with but in fact I was the best person, because hurting him was my last resort. As a Jiu-Jitsu Professor my job is always try and talk someone down, I’m so thankful I didn’t have to hurt him. I only got close to him once I knew I could control his hands. He had to much to drink.”
#2 Michael Bisping - Former UFC middleweight champion
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael 'The Count' Bisping has not competed since 2017, with his focus now centered on his new role as a UFC commentator and MMA media member. Bisping has become one of the most recognizable faces in all of MMA during his time with the UFC.
However, during a recent trip to New Orleans, a citizen completely oblivious to Bisping's identity took it upon himself to assault the former champion. Bisping was supposedly filming in the street when an individual took issue with it. Bisping told the man to leave him alone, which led to the individual getting violent.
Bisping was struck in the face. However, rather than return fire and throw a punch back, Bisping laughed at the man and then walked away. He did later post an image of the individual on his Twitter.
#1 Polyana Viana
UFC women's strawweight Polyana Viana was the attempted target of a would-be mugger in 2019. Viana was waiting for an Uber in Rio de Janeiro when a man approached her and began asking her the time. It quickly became clear that the man had bad intentions so Viana attempted to put her phone away.
This prompted the mugger to ask her to hand the phone over, stating that he was armed with a gun. Before he had the chance to draw it, Viana lashed out with a quick combination. She was able to get the better of him and managed to lock up a rear naked choke, which she used to subdue the criminal until the police arrived.
UFC president Dana White later posted an image of Viana with a side-by-side image of the failed robber.
