WATCH: MMA fighter captures 8ft alligator in Jacksonville

A video went viral on social media in which a man named Mike Dragich caught an alligator in Jacksonville as the reptile was approaching those standing at the side of a road.

Dragich — who is a qualified alligator trapper — was notified about the 8-foot-long reptile as he was with his family at a local sports game.

After receiving the information, he left the game and started looking for the egg-laying reptile with no safety equipment with him.

In the video capturing the scene, the 34-year-old can be seen following the rouge alligator on the street with his bare hands before finally jumping onto it and sitting on the animal.

The video shows Dragich clamping the alligator's mouth shut, and then lifting the reptile into his arms, rendering it powerless.

Speaking with the media, the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter told News4JAX: "I was at a hockey game [in] downtown Jacksonville with my family! Jacksonville Sheriff's Office called the emergency alligator situation to FWC and I was dispatched." 

"It was only five minutes from the game, so I literally left the game, caught the alligator, and then went back to the game."

Back in 2023, the Daily Express US report noted that Dragich also caught a 10-foot alligator that was on the campus of Northwestern Legends Elementary School.