A security guard whose block and takedown of a would-be thief went viral after it was caught on CCTV has officially been hired by UFC president Dana White, taking up a job offer after he flew her to a Conor McGregor fight.
Summer Tapasa-Sataraka was at the center of a social media storm at the end of last year when footage emerged of her emphatically accosting a man trying to steal electrical equipment at a Best Buy store in Hawaii, blocking him from leaving and wrestling him to the ground as he tried to make his way through the exit as he held a speaker.
Despite the admiration she received for her no-nonsense approach that would not have looked out of place outside of the Octagon, Tapasa-Sataraka was subsequently fired by the outlet.
Welcome to the @ufc Summer Tapasa!! I’m so happy you chose a career with us 👊🏻👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/GCmcCJF6sL
— danawhite (@danawhite) September 3, 2020
UFC supremo White swiftly announced that he wanted her to work for him and arranged for her to be flown to UFC 246 in Nevada in January, where she stood between headliners Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone as they faced off at their weigh-in.
An in-person chat with his potential new recruit left White "moved" enough to ponder offering her a more senior role than the initial security one he had envisaged, but the hard-hitting enforcer needed time to consider the impact of moving almost 3,000 miles to join the company.
She admitted that her "jaw dropped" when she saw White support her cause and called the invitation "the opportunity of a lifetime".
"Somebody was stealing a TV, some dude," explained White, appearing to be confused about the exact nature of the theft while introducing Tapasa-Sataraka on social media.
"She beat his ass and stopped him from stealing the TV. She got fired from Best Buy, which I thought was horrible. So I brought her out to Vegas, I offered her a job here.
#oldschool techniques using elbows and forearms and always bringing the feet while staying square. Imparting your will is such a big part of finishing games out. Much carryover to ‘60’s NFL. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/LYABe2XBzT
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) December 26, 2019
"She went back to Hawaii, weighed up all her options and decided to come work for the UFC. She is now a UFC employee, so all of you people thinking about f*cking around here at the UFC, you'll get your ass whooped by Summer."
Revealing that Tapasa-Sataraka started work eight weeks ago, White declared: "Welcome to the UFC, Summer Tapasa. I’m so happy you chose a career with us."
Tapasa-Sataraka has named featherweight Max Holloway as her favourite fighter, although she rejected claims by fans that she would make a formidable competitor herself, adding that she would be happy enough acting as a bodyguard or security official.
"I am looking forward to expanding my career and hopefully moving on up," she said.
The watchful guard was not called into action by the notoriously inciteful McGregor and veteran slugger Cerrone, standing poised as they squared up on stage before seeing the former lightweight champion make light work of the American in their contest.
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source https://www.rt.com/sport/499767-ufc-security-guard-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS
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