DENVER (KDVR) — UFC fighter Jordan Williams was not having it when a man tried to steal his car while he went inside a gas station.
After nearly 12 years training, Williams knows how to defend himself — and his car.
“I train every day. It’s my lifestyle — being in shape is part of my job,” Williams said.
Williams shared video of what happened on Instagram. He walks inside a Park Hill convenience store. That’s when another man gets into his 2020 Honda Civic and closes the door — and when Williams’ mixed martial arts training kicked in.
“So I run up. The guy, backing away, looking at me like, ‘This is happening. Got your car.’ Like no remorse at all. What I’ll remember always is the look on his face when he was looking at me through the window like, ‘I’m taking this,’” Williams said.
Williams runs out of the store and the other man tries to reverse and drive away. But he’s not quick enough, and Williams is able to open the door and pull him out while hitting him several times.
“I punched the guy a couple of times. At that point he was saying he’s sorry, just repeatedly,” he said.
Williams’ car has a remote start, but he said he believed that if he had the key on him in the store it would be too far away for another person to drive the car.
“Actually, you can drive without the key fob. The only reason he wasn’t able to go was because he didn’t know how to work the parking brake. So, I was literally seconds away from losing my car and now I know,” he said.
The would-be thief took off running, and Williams says he has only one regret.
“I wish I was able to apprehend him, not to do more damage, just to control the scene, make sure he’s not out there doing the same thing. He’s probably out there having another chance to do that today,” the fighter said.
Williams had a message for would-be criminals: “My message to crooks is don’t steal. Double check yourself in broad daylight. And watch out for that fanny pack.”
Williams said he also wants people to learn as he did: lock your car and never leave it running.
You can watch the video (warning: there are profanities in it) on Williams’ Instagram.