Black Belt MMA Fighter Subdues Man Accused Of Attacking Multiple People In NYC

A Filipino-American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter subdued an attacker accused of initiating six unprovoked assaults in New York City. The attacker has since been taken into custody.

Speaking with The New York Post, 44-year-old Ro Malabanan said he was on his way to his boxing instructor job at Manhattan’s SoHo shopping district when he saw the perpetrator sucker punch a construction worker. The attacker was identified as Samuel Frazier, who was later found to have initiated an “unprovoked” attack on a teenager and a 50-year-old man, according to The Post. Malabanan subdued Frazier until authorities arrived at the scene.

In an Instagram video that addressed the incident, Malabanan said his “jiu-jitsu instincts kicked in. I jumped on his back.” Malabanan further explained that Frazier “tried to swing me off then – but for those of you in the know - a seatbelt position dragged him down to the floor, and I immediately took his back and pinned him to the ground.”

Malabanan, who holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a yellow belt in judo, subdued Frazier in front of a Converse flagship store on Broadway, video footage showed.

The take-down of Frazier “happened in less than a minute,” Malabanan explained in the video, adding that he had to make sure the perpetrator didn’t have razors or knives. Other victims who claimed to have been attacked by Frazier approached and tried to punch or kick the suspect but Malabanan asked them to stop and call the police.

Malabanan told The Post over the phone that he believed Frazier attacked at least six people. Frazier was filmed telling Malabanan that the people he attacked “were walking into me.” However, Malabanan believes Frazier, who the police said had no home address, was “playing the victim.”

The Deputy Commissioner Public Information (DCPI) told Philippine news outlet ABS-CBN News that Frazier was charged with two counts of assault.

In an exclusive interview with WNBC, Malabanan said he was grateful to have been of help through his knowledge of martial arts. “I don’t think I’m a hero, just doing my part for New York,” he said. Malabanan also told the outlet that he had to pin down Frazier for fear that the assailant would hurt other people again.