HOMETOWN HERO UFC 149 FIGHTER NICK RING
AIDS TWO VICTIMS IN SWARM ATTACK
Calgary’s hometown UFC fighter Nick Ring can now add Good Samaritan to his check list. At approximately 9:15 p.m. Wednesday night, Ring, who had just finished a yoga class, was leaving a local Starbucks when he witnessed a group of about 10 juveniles aged 15-18 beating up and robbing a young couple, both 17, waiting at a bus stop.
Ring witnessed the one female assailant holding the female victim by the hair and kneeing her in the face while she was on the ground. The male victim was repeatedly beaten while trying to protect his girlfriend. “It was right out of a movie, they were holding him back and beating him up as well,” said Ring on Thursday. “It was a really horrible thing to see.”
Ring watched the group steal the girl’s backpack and run off, leaving the victims hysterical and bleeding with cuts on their faces.
Quick to act, Ring, a 33-year-old mixed martial artist who is preparing for UFC 149 in Calgary July 21, along with a “perfect stranger”, checked on the victims and then the pair chased the assaulters about 3-4 blocks.
“It was a random act, but from what I saw, it was very violent. I have no tolerance for that type of behaviour and I had to even out the playing field.”
Ring and the other witness ran after the assailants, eventually pinning down one of the young men and calling the police. The other young adults pleaded with them to let them go but eventually took off.
Ring then chased them as well, so the police knew where they were, and the authorities ended up catching them from there.
Ring was not able to speak to the victims after the fact as they were rushed to the hospital by ambulance.
“It was a brutal assault. Hands down it was a horrible thing to witness. There was no way it was justified.”
Ring said the suspects did not know who he was or his fighting background. But one of the suspects did challenge him to a one-on-one fight before being arrested. Three members of the group were arrested and charged with assault. Police continue to search for the remaining assailants.
When asked about fighting crime or fighting in the Octagon, Nick said, “The men the police have to face have no honour. I would way rather be an MMA fighter because the men I fight have honour. These guys were just straight up cowards.”
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