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Brazilian MMA fighter thwarts robbery, subdues assailant with submission

Monique Bastos' years of training Brazilian jiu-jitsu really paid off for her on Tuesday night when Bastos was the victim of an attempted robbery outside of her home gym in Açailândia, Brazil.

"I was going to my jiu-jitsu training when they arrived on a motorcycle and said they wanted our phones," Bastos recalled to MMAFighting.com in an exclusive interview. "I tried to hold my phone, and I realized they were not armed. When they tried to escape, I lifted the rear wheel of the bike and they fell on the ground. The guy who took my phone ran away, but I was able to get the other one."

Not only did she “get” the other one, Bastos actually subdued the assailant for nearly 15 minutes until authorities arrived.

Check it out:

It’s hard saying just what is the best part of the video: Bastos getting the best of her attacker and calmly cradling him in a modified triangle, or the suspect screaming at the top of his lungs, like he is somehow the person being wronged.

Making matters more embarrassing for her attacker: Bastos is a 125-pound flyweight.

Incredibly, this wasn’t the first time Bastos needed to defend herself on the streets of her hometown. And the last time Bastos was attacked, the perps were carrying knives.

"I’ve been through this a few times before, and it’s the second time I fought back," she said. "There were two guys, and they were using knives, but I was able to use my jiu-jitsu and get my phone back. It’s a huge risk, but I did it to defend myself and my friends, so I used what I learned."

Whatever she has been learning seems to be working just fine for Monique Bastos.