"It becomes just a reflex" - Florida MMA fighter Javier Baez addresses subduing violent knife-wielder; attacker's identity disclosed

A former Florida regional MMA fighter, Javier Baez, has addressed subduing a violent knife-wielder.

This past Wednesday, Baez was attacked in a parking lot in Miami by a knife-wielder. The CCTV footage that went viral showcased that he was able to take the attacker down and put him in an arm triangle choke.

The Police later identified the attacker as a 50-year-old man, Omar Morreno, and the arrest report revealed that Morreno saw Baez in his vehicle and started hitting his window with a knife before the MMA fighter got out.

Addressing the attack during an interview with ABC, Javier Baez spoke about how the attacker gave up when he was put in an arm triangle. He said:

“Once I started putting the choke in, he kind of just let go because no one is worried about anything else but breathing when you’re losing air."

Further, Baez also spoke about how it was second nature for him to subdue the attacker thanks to his training, He said:

"When you train so many times it becomes just a reflex."

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What is Javier Baez's pro-MMA record?

Javier Baez is a 34-year-old former professional MMA fighter based out of Miami, Florida, with a record of 5-2-1. He was last seen in action back in 2018. His career was off to a flying start as he went 5-0.

However, things changed when he fought Kester Mark to a split draw. The 34-year-old then lost his next two fights and has not fought since losing to Diego Silva. When Baez used to compete, he did the bulk of his training at the UFC gym in Kendall, Florida, but was also seen in and out of the MMA Masters gym in Hialeah, Florida.

Since 2018, it looks like Javier Baez has shifted his focus from fighting to coaching and even refers to himself as 'Coach Javi from MMA Masters' in his Instagram videos. While he has not officially announced his retirement from the sport, the chances of seeing him compete are very slim at the moment.