Working hard day in and day out definitely pays off, as mixed martial arts fighter, Monique Bastos, easily subdues an assailant near her home gym in Açailândia, Brazil.
Bastos talked about the incident in an exclusive interview with MMAFighting.com.
"I was going to my jiu-jitsu training when they arrived on a motorcycle and said they wanted our phones," she said. "I tried to hold my phone, and I realized they were not armed."
It was here when things went from interesting, to downright awesome.
"When they tried to escape, I lifted the rear wheel of the bike and they fell on the ground," said Bastos. "The guy who took my phone ran away, but I was able to get the other one."
Apparently, her last statement was only putting things mildly, because Bastos didn't just "get the other one," she actually pacified the suspect, Wesley Sousa de Araujo, until police arrived fifteen-minutes later.
Much to his chagrin, the mugger gasps for air and tries to scream at the top of his lungs, while Bastos casually holds a modified triangle choke.
To rub salt on the robber's wound, Monique Bastos competes professionally at the 125-pound flyweight division.
It appears that this wasn't Bastos' first dance with small-time criminals.
"I've been through this a few times before, and it's the second time I fought back," she quipped. "There were two guys, and they were using knives, but I was able to use my jiu-jitsu and get my phone back."
Bastos understands the dangers that come with being a local superhero. However, she also knows the importance of standing up for what's right.
"It's a huge risk, but I did it to defend myself and my friends, so I used what I learned."
Moral of the story: never try to steal her phone, nor her friends'.
According to Sherdog.com, Monique Bastos carries a professional mixed martial arts record of 0-3; but after this, she's a perfect 1-0 in the hearts of many.