Ex-UFC fighter James McSweeney thwarts armed robbery attempt

James McSweeney may only be slightly above average as an MMA fighter, but he’s a superstar when it comes to stopping robberies.

The 31-year-old Muay Thai expert thwarted an armed robbery attempt at a convenience store in Las Vegas on Wednesday, and even tweeted about the incident (presumably using the hand that wasn’t holding down the thief):

Just stopped a robbery in old town las vegas, guy had knife and grabbed handful of $, I took his knife and held him til security arrived!

— James McSweeney (@mcsweeneymma) August 16, 2012

McSweeney spoke with MMA Weekly a day later to provide more details about the incident.

McSweeney says he was showing his family members, who were visiting from England, around Fremont Street in Las Vegas and they went to a store to pick up souvenirs.

“So they wanted to get some souvenirs so they went into one of the stores there, and as they walked I saw these two guys that looked like they were drunk, but they wasn’t really, they were just arguing,” McSweeney explained to MMA Weekly. “So the cashier went over to stop them from arguing cause the store was packed full of women and children, people there shopping.

“As they started to break it up one of the guys made a dash for the cash, the box behind the counter, and grabbed a handful of cash out and then pulled a knife out on the lady in front of everybody.”

The argument was just part of the robbers’ distraction. The man pulled out a 3″ or 4” knife, says McSweeney, who sprang into action.

“I didn’t want anyone to get hurt, so I just went over and grabbed from the side by his shoulder and his lapel and took the knife from him and swept him to the floor and pinned him to the ground until security came and handcuffed him and took him off,” said McSweeney.

“No one got hurt, that was the main thing.”

Maybe we should mention that in addition to being a professional fighter, McSweeney also has experience as a security guard. This guy is a straight badass.

Of all the stories we cover at LBS, MMA fighters stopping robberies may be my favorite. And that’s not only because thieves can end up looking like this, but because there’s an element of civilian justice that makes it priceless.

Thanks to LBS contributor A. Hull for the tip

Photo via James McSweeney/Twitter