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This incident took place last year at the Brunswick Street Mall in Brisbane Australia.
Pro welterweight MMA fighter Viktor Lyall was minding his own business, when he reportedly saw two punks – Josh Townsend and Jessee Swain – stomping a man in an alley. The fighter promptly broke it up. The two fools-at-best then relentlessly followed and harassed Lyall, spurred on by a Swain’s partner, Tia-rose Shaw. Her father is reportedly a bodybuilder.
How do we know that about her father? Because she tells everyone, repeatedly. For the record, Swain is the one with his shirt off who gets kicked in the melon.
What Happened
The altercation is a seminar in using distance management – not getting close enough to get hit, while momentarily stepping into the pocket to hit back first. It’s also a seminar in situational awareness, never letting the second assailant get in position to sucker punch, something the punk was desperately trying to do. Further, Lyall was simultaneously making sure his own companion was close and safe. And it is a seminar in staying cool and controlling temper, in the face of extreme and prolonged harassment that included being spit on.
“Not all heroes wear capes,” wrote Lyall’s friend, BKFC star Bec Rodriguez, who originally posted the video. She is absolutely correct.
Warning, the video contains more profanity than Joe Pesci playing a Mafiosi.
Breakdown from Lawrence Kenshin
Here’s a view from above.
The Fighter Explains What Happened
I never laid hands on either of those males, nor needed to until the events of that video transpired and I needed to defend myself, Lyall told The Chronicle. I was merely involving myself to extricate another party. That’s when I got involved, and that’s the only reason I got involved.
You can see quite clearly from the video that I don’t want to hurt anyone, otherwise I would have, and I’m walking away getting followed.
Fight World Reacts
Rising UFC star Paddy Pimblett: What a guy stood his ground and defended himself, be proud of yourself brother.
Retired UFC featherweight Suman Mokhtarian: There’s nothing that makes me happier! I found my new street hero @impalervikki you SK ???
UFC women’s flyweight Andrea “KGB” Lee: “This was great! I watched it 4x now.
WMMA bantamweight Raquel “Rocky” Canuto: This was painful to watch lol. I wish the guy in red got more lol and the girl… my gosh.
The Harassers
For those of you who wondered where Beavis and Butthead have been all these years, now we know, unfortunately. The pair also remind of the jackals referenced in Christopher Walken’s Lion Speech, courtesy of the 2002 documentary Poolhall Junkies:
However, Lyall requests that there be no further steps taken against the two unfortunates, and hopes that their enshrinement in the global @$$hole Hall of Fame was sufficient.
“As they’re identifiable, I hope people can also respect the privacy of the aggressors and not ruin their livelihoods or whatever they do,” wrote the fighter. “Although the two males were together beating someone brutally, it was stopped. That video going viral is probably (hopefully) enough punishment for them. Please don’t harass.
“Ultimately, to me, it was just a bit of a tiff. They got plowed on. It happens. It’s good nobody got hurt.”
Follow Viktor Lyall
Lyall fights for Brisbane-based XFC, and trains at Brisbane’s Gamebred Academy, under coaches Ryan Dunstan, Simon Clough, and Jason Lonergan.
Follow the hero without a cape on Instagram.
And share your thoughts on The StreetGround forum at mixedmartialarts.com.
