A Florida MMA fighter has gone viral on social media for wrestling an alligator disturbing a Jacksonville neighborhood in his bare feet.
Mike Dragich, who posts his wildlife and martial arts content as @bluecollar_brawler on Instagram, had no tools on him when he went up against the eight-foot gator in the middle of the road.
A video captured from the incident shows a large crowd of neighbors watching in awe as Dragich expertly pounces on the reptile’s back, clamps its jaw shut, and carries it out of the street.
“He was running toward the cops and a crowd of people, and everybody was screaming,” he told FOX 35.
Dragich, who is a licensed alligator trapper, said he was attending a hockey game with his family when the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office alerted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) about the stray gator, leading to him being dispatched to the neighborhood.
“It was only five minutes from the game, so I literally left the game, caught the alligator, and then went back to the game,” Dragich said.
While this recent incident landed him in the news, Dragich is no stranger to popularity due to his gator-handling skills.
In May 2023, Dragich bravely wrangled an even bigger alligator outside of a Jacksonville elementary school as onlookers screamed in fear.
When that incident first went viral, Dragich used his social media fame to draw attention to a greater cause that he supports through his nonprofit, Project Savior Outdoors.
“My heart goes to our veterans dealing with PTSD and the issue of veteran suicide,” Dragich said to FOX 35 in 2023.
The project connects struggling veterans with nature, wildlife, and friends to combat mental illness and trauma. The viral videos gain Dragich more supporters to help fellow veterans.
“It puts eyes on me, and I want to use that opportunity to point it all to Jesus and get these veterans all the help that they need,” Dragich said.