The veteran mixed martial arts fighter Benji Radach will fight Murilo "Ninja" Rua on Saturday night in the EliteXC: Heat show on CBS. But no matter how well he performs in the cage, he's not going to be able to top what he once did at a restaurant.Radach was out to eat at a diner in Vancouver when he saw that a man was pointing a gun in the face of the woman behind the counter. So, he says, he walked up to the man and put his MMA experience to use: He grabbed the robber's wrist with one hand and punched him in the face with the other.
Radach tells the story in this interview:
Q: Rumor has it you were involved in a little incident in Vancouver a few years back at an Elmer's Restaurant?Radach is officially the closest thing MMA has to Jules Winfield and Vincent Vega.
A:Yes, that's not rumor. It's a true deal. A guy came in with a loaded gun and had it against the face of the girl behind the cash register and I was eating breakfast with Dennis Hallman and my girlfriend and her sister. This little girl came up to our table crying about how this guy had a gun and I turn around sure enough this guy had the gun right in the chick's face, cussing and swearing and making a big racket. And I was like "Oh my god, this is really happening." Everyone thinks about what they would do in that situation and there it was, right in front of me.
I just made the quick decision. I saw that he wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings and that he was really focused on the girl in front of him and the general manager to his left. I was about 70 feet off to his right so he wasn't looking. So I was like "Man, I am going to snag this guy." If I could get close to him without him seeing me and shooting me, I knew I could get him. I didn't want to sprint in case he'd hear me so I just aggressively walked up quietly and fast and grabbed the gun out of her face and wrist-locked him to his back and dropped one big right hand and fractured his jaw and knocked him unconscious and moved him off to the side and saved the day.
Now I am just trying to get the footage because it was caught on a surveillance camera. If I can get that, it would be pretty sweet. I think it would be cool for MMA because there are so negative ways in which people try to portray MMA and this is one good thing.
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Athletes to the Rescue
Benji Radach teaches an armed robber that it's never wise to mess with a mixed martial arts fighter. While Radach was out to eat at a diner, he used his MMA skills to take down a man with a loaded gun who tried to rob the cash register. Click through to see some other heroes from the world of sports.
Ross Dettman, Getty Images
Tony Romo is well known for being a star quarterback and the boyfriend of singer Jessica Simpson, but for one Texas couple, he's also a knight in shining armor. Returning home after the Cowboys beat the Browns, Romo pulled over to assist Bill and Sharon White, who were stranded on the side of the road after their car tire blew out.
Scott Boehm, Getty Images
On July 3, Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez came to the aid of man choking to death in a Huntington Beach restaurant. "Tony saved my life. There's no doubt," the Chargers fan said.
Greg Trott, Getty Images
Former college and NFL star Brian Bosworth recently came to the aid of a woman who crashed her car into a ditch in Canada.
Bernstein Associates / Getty Images
Criminals should think twice before entering the home of Noah Herron. The Packers running back used a post from his bed to foil a burglar in June.
Getty Images
NASCAR's Dario Franchitti was caught without his pants on, but not without his wits, when a would-be robber surprised him in his home in January. Franchitti, wearing just his boxers, used his car (naturally) to help track down the intruder.
John Raoux, AP
A man who tried to extort an acquaintance of Terrell Brandon in February got more than he bargained for when the former NBA star set a trap for the crook and then snared him with the help of a friend.
Andy Hayt, NBAE / Getty Images
Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama and two teammates chased down a man who stole an armful of Wildcats football jerseys from a store in 2006. "I am glad we could help out," Tuitama said.
Elaine Thompson, AP
Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Joe Delaney died in 1983 while attempting to rescue three drowning children in a Louisiana pond. One child was saved, but Delaney and two kids did not survive. Delaney was posthumously awarded the President's Citizen's Medal.
Dan Peak, Kansas City Star / MCT
Longtime NFL kicker Norm Johnson helped save a woman whose car overturned car in a water-filled ditch in December, 2007. Johnson, who lives in Silverdale, Wash., where the accident occurred, used a large rock to break a window before pulling the woman to safety.
Rick Stewart, Getty Images
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-02-2008 @ 11:49AM
james said...
that guy will think twicw next time! great job mma is a great sport
Reply
10-03-2008 @ 12:58AM
trena said...
I agree with what you said... The MMA fighters could be any where, they are just like us.. They are out and about just like normal people... That MMA fighters saved lives that could of been shortin because of a guy like that.... So God sent him there in the right resturant that day, and saved some lives... Thanks for letting me reply on your message.. Thanks Trena
10-02-2008 @ 8:31PM
Dub Trotter said...
Good job Benji , I hope his head is still thobbing. You are a brave soul , just what we need in situations like this. People need to get involved, instead of depending on the Police all the time.
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10-03-2008 @ 5:24AM
Mike said...
Hey, I'll give the guy props for getting it done, but only because it worked. However, as a Police Officer myself, that was probably one of the dumbest and most foolish actions he could have taken.
I know some morons will jump on me for saying this, but why the hell did he do that? The absolute majority of the time, armed robbers LEAVE after they get what they want....MONEY. They RARELY shoot anyone when they feel they have control of a situation.
The ONLY thing Benji did was risk that girl's life to save the owner a few bucks in the cash drawer....never mind the "ego" boost Benji got from it...I mean listen to him tell the story. It's not like he's the reluctant hero here, he seems pretty cocky telling it instead of being humble like a TRUE hero would have been.
10-02-2008 @ 8:52PM
Bill said...
One thing should be noted. Canada has anti gun laws just like what Obama and his fellow democrats wish to push here in the US. Gun control does work- keeps guns in the hands of criminals and stops law abiding people from protecting themsleves. This guy is a martial arts pro!!! Not many ordinary people have the ability to take on an armed criminal with their bare hands Hooray for this guy!!!
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10-02-2008 @ 8:52PM
Rain said...
Good job.
Glad it had a happy ending.
Too many mean people in this world.
Spread joy and happiness!
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10-03-2008 @ 5:49AM
Charles said...
Too many good people in this world. They just aren't written about, enough.
10-02-2008 @ 9:01PM
Bob said...
Not good. Very macho, but not good. He had to move 70' by his own admission to get to this guy. Granted that a trained martial artist can disarm someone AT VERY CLOSE RANGE, I wonder what would have happened if the guy with the gun realized he was coming at, say, 20'. He took a tremendous risk, not just to himself, but to others. Bill, I totally agree with your comments about gun control, but not the hip-hip- hooray stuff. The guy is an egotistic nut.
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10-03-2008 @ 10:29AM
noonrock said...
Kiss off, Bob.
10-02-2008 @ 11:52PM
RAGE OF THORN said...
Yea, well with that mentality of your own, Bob. There would be alot of people taking it bent over. I think the guy did the right thing, the thing any decient person with real balls would do the same to save a life. Thats not ego, that is just the law of survival, sometimes peace must be achieved through war.
10-02-2008 @ 9:33PM
Gil said...
Kill for peace
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10-02-2008 @ 10:11PM
Hutch said...
Way stupid. I'm a 46 year old retired cop with all the training, both military and law enforcement to disarm a person aiming at ME. Rarely does anyone teach disarming a person who has a gun to someone elses head. My record proves I'm no coward but I would have never took a chance like that even if I had a gun. If the guy was only wanting money, I'll confront him outside. This guy didn't think of all the things that could have went wrong. The expression on the teller's face could have given hin away, reflection on the glass windows, noise hell anything. If he was caught at a twenty foot standoff and the shitbag decided to shoot him, chances are he's gonna miss but he's not gonna quit trying. Hard to tell how many people behind him would be hit before the guy hit him. Worse the guy could have taken EVERYONE in the place hostage. If he had grabbed the wrong part of the wrist it would have caused him to pull the trigger like it or not...............................we don't know that he saved anyone, we just know he saved some money and risked more lives than were in danger to begin with.
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10-02-2008 @ 10:27PM
ZZ said...
Sorry Hutch, but we've been listening to the "experts" for too long. Many of us have listened and gone down without a fight because that's what we're supposed to do. It's the reason we had the Twin Towers go down and the reason many of our loved ones are found dead in a back room of a business. We're supposed to give up with out a struggle because it's supposedly safer. Bless you for your service Hutch but your "expertise" is part of the problem here. Had you been there as an officer you'd have pulled out your weapon and shot the guy. I guess the rest of us must go and lay down like lambs for the slaughter.
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10-02-2008 @ 10:50PM
redneckmtchick said...
What a great story. But I disagree with the guy who says the average joe can't do that same kind of thing. There was an attempted armed robbery in a casino about 6 miles from where I live, and the old day drunk customers wrestled the guy to the ground, took his shotgun from him, and duct-taped him to hold him until police got there.
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10-02-2008 @ 10:50PM
Anthony said...
NEVER make an attempt at death for the sake of property !!!
I too, am a retired cop, and agree with Hutch. Having said this, as a concealed weapon permit holder, if the robber turned towards my table & family after he got the loot I'd drop him like the sack of shit he is BEFORE he could utter his first word !
TO ALL OF THE NAIVE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD:
"An Armed Society Is A Polite Society", and especially now when our hearts have been so hardened that it's just a matter of time before we find ourselves in one of these life & death situations. Statistically, EVERY single state that has passed a CCW Law has realized a min. of 45% drop in violent crime. Imagine that !!! ...more gun-totin' GOOD citizens and the bad guys think twice !!!
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10-02-2008 @ 11:26PM
PERRY said...
YA , HE WAS DEFDINITLEY IN ERROR , LIKE THE BRAVE COP THAT PULLED THE SAME SHIT AT MC DONALDS DRIVE IN IN BARSTOW A FEW YEARS BACK. A CHILD GOT HER HEAD BLOWN OFF CAUSE OF THIS HERO . ITS WRONG LESS YA KNOW YOU GOT THE DUDE RIGHT BY THE BALLSA WHICH IS SELDOM ,,BEING BRAVE WITH ANOTHERTS LIFE IS NOT COOL..
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10-02-2008 @ 11:32PM
bw said...
Fun war story...However....there is an old saying....never bring only a fist to a gun fight....take this advise from someone who has been in gun fights.....
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10-02-2008 @ 11:56PM
Pfhideau said...
Hmmm. Gunfighter, huh?
10-02-2008 @ 11:39PM
Cynthia said...
NICE JOB. THIS IS HOW WE SEND A MESSAGE THAT WE AREN'T GOING TO PUT UP WITH CRIME. THE PEOPLE TAKE CHARGE AND REPORT IF QUALIFIED GET INVOLVED. I WOULDN'T SUGGEST THAT JUST ANYONE DO WHAT THIS MAN DID, HE WAS WELL TRAINED. STILL WE CAN STOMP OUT CRIME IF PEOPLE STOP LOOKING THE OTHER WAY AND REALLY GET INVOLVED.
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10-03-2008 @ 1:47AM
Neph said...
I hate things like this. Half the people are all for it, the other half talk like it's the worst thing a person can do. Personally, I don't think of us have a right to judge anything that happens, even the 'experts'. No one knows each and every time what is going to happen, or what could possibly happen. In this case, if the guy was willing to shoot Benji at 20', then he more than likely was willing to shoot the girl at 2". Those who are whining that he put others in danger, think of the person he saved. But then again, this nation is filled with 'experts' who think it's okay for one to die, as long as two don't. Those of you who are saying great job, more of it, read the post above by Perry. Nobody knows until it's over, and by then, anyone can look back and criticize. Benji might be an egotistical nut, but even so, that doesn't change the fact that he may very well saved that girl's life. And at what risk? His own life? Oh my goodness, someone sacrificing for another...heaven forbid. Lives of those around him? Again, I guess it's okay for one girl to get her head blown off, just as long as the collateral damage is minimal.
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