UFC fighter Kevin Holland says he used rear-naked choke to subdue Houston restaurant shooter

UFC fighter Kevin Holland says he helped apprehend a person who shot a gun off at a Houston restaurant Monday night time.

Holland instructed ESPN on Tuesday that he was consuming sushi along with his buddy, Patrick Robinson, when he heard a loud bang and noticed individuals operating away in concern. Holland mentioned he and Robinson noticed one other man attempt to wrestle the gun away from the shooter, so Holland and Robinson approached to assist disarm the person and detain him till police arrived.

“I would not inform the following individual to do it until they’re severely skilled for that kind of scenario,” Holland mentioned. “In addition to doing cage preventing, I prepare self-defense initially. For me, that was the easiest way to defend myself in the intervening time. Plus, I like Batman.”

A Houston Police Division spokesman instructed ESPN that it’s towards coverage to launch the names of witnesses, so police couldn’t affirm Holland’s involvement. However Holland’s account strains up with what the police have described.

In keeping with a Houston PD spokesman, the suspect fired a gun into the air on the restaurant contained in the Highland Village purchasing heart at round 11:30 p.m. Monday. After the shot went off, the individual sitting subsequent to the gunman within the restaurant grabbed his hand, pointed the gun away and tried to subdue him as officers have been en route.

The suspected gunman has been recognized as 24-year-old Jesus Samaniego, in response to police. He faces costs of lethal conduct and unlawfully carrying a weapon

Holland mentioned he did not know a shot had been fired till he noticed individuals operating away.

“I used to be dealing with a technique after which we he heard a giant, loud bang,” Holland mentioned. “I assumed it was a champagne bottle popping, as a result of the individuals behind us have been having a celebration. I am going to go searching and I see individuals operating like that they had the look of dying on [their] face, like tremendous frightened.”

Holland mentioned he and Robinson “obtained low” and ducked for canopy, then regarded within the path of the shot. Holland mentioned he noticed the gunman and the person who grabbed his arm. The gun, at that time, was dealing with towards Holland, Robinson and different patrons, Holland mentioned. Fairly than run away, Holland mentioned he and Robinson went across the different aspect. Holland mentioned he picked up a chair to hit the gunman, however could not inform who the gunman was and who was the great Samaritan, as a result of they have been wrestling on the bottom.

Holland observed the person on the underside of the skirmish was the one holding the gun. He mentioned he and Robinson helped pry the gun out of his hand. Holland mentioned he then took the person into his lap, wrapped his legs round his legs and put him in a rear-naked choke submission maintain.

“As quickly as he was [asleep], I let go of the choke, slid out on prime, obtained full mount, stretched the arms out so he could not attain for something,” Holland mentioned.

Holland mentioned he and Robinson grabbed the person’s backpack and tossed it to the aspect and made certain the gun was not inside attain. The police arrived shortly after, he mentioned.

“You see it on the information, otherwise you see it on TV or the films and stuff, however you by no means see it really in life, and it’s loopy that no one obtained harm,” Robinson instructed ABC 13 in Houston.

Holland mentioned rising up in a tough space of Riverside, California, he was at all times instructed that if an attacker has a knife, go away from the knife. If an attacker has a gun, go towards the gun. However he mentioned he has been coaching in self-defense, kung fu and now MMA for many of his life, so he wouldn’t suggest most individuals take that strategy.

“It appeared just like the safer path to go to it as a substitute of going away from it,” Holland mentioned.

Holland isn’t any stranger to a majority of these conditions. The Texas resident says he chased down his automobile and helped detain a suspected robber final October, simply two days after a UFC struggle. Holland mentioned he is unsure how these circumstances preserve occurring to him.

“I don’t know,” he mentioned. “I wish to find yourself in much less conditions, to be trustworthy with you. I used to be simply speaking with my individuals about that not too way back. I am at all times into some B.S., what I imply?”

Holland, 29, is a well-liked UFC fighter who simply made his welterweight debut by beating Alex Oliveira at UFC 272 on March 5 in Las Vegas. He has simply two losses in his previous 9 fights and tied the report for many UFC wins (5) in a single calendar 12 months in 2020.