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Patrick Freitas, former Icon Sport and EliteXC employee, was assaulted during rush hour in Brooklyn.
Patrick Freitas, 48, worked as a promoter and matchmaker for the Honolulu based MMA outfit Icon Sport between 1999 and 2006. Icon hosted dozens of MMA events in Hawaii throughout the sports’ late pioneer era.
During the MMA boom in the mid-noughts Icon was purchased by ProElite MMA (who hoped, at the time, to compete with the UFC). ProElite also owned EliteXC, Cage Rage, and King of the Cage. After Icon was acquired, Freitas worked within ProElite’s marketing department until 2008.
According to NY Daily News Freitas was involved in a violent encounter last week at a train station on Brooklyn’s Utica avenue. That outlet reported that a random attacker approached Freitas and began ‘pummeling’ him.
Freitas spoke to the paper about the attack. He said that he first noticed his attacker on the subway platform. Freitas said the man was harassing and screaming racist and sexist remarks at commuters.
According to Freitas this man then approached him. “He came up to me, kind of like what are you going to do about it? And so I stood to defend myself. And when I stood up he punched me in the face.”
Freitas told NYDN that when he was punched he “weighed the consequences” of whether or not he should strike back. “Do I punch him back? What if he falls and gets hurt?”
“I just knew if there were punches thrown it was going to turn into a big bloody brawl and I didn’t want to get engaged in a big bloody brawl on Friday, on my day off,” added Freitas. “I just thought, ‘I am going to take him down on the ground and subdue him.’”
To get his assailant to the ground Freitas pulled off a double leg takedown and then put the man in a headlock. Freitas said that he threw punches at the man while they were on the floor, while defending himself from being raked across the eyes and mouth.
The NYPD have released video footage showing this part of the incident. That can be viewed here.
Bystanders eventually separated Freitas and the man. As that happened Freitas had $200 in cash fall from his pockets. The assailant was able to scoop up that money as he fled the scene.
After the incident Freitas took to instagram to recount the story. He also shared a photograph of his bruised face and bloodshot eye.
Perfect stranger punched me in the eye while I waited for the C-train last night at 6pm. I double legged him and put him flat on his back. Got on top and landed some shots until the crowd pulled me off. He then got up…but not before scooping up the $200 cash that fell out of my pocket while we wrestled. #goodsamaritans held me back while he ran to freedom with my money.
The NYPD are appealing to the public for information regarding the incident and the identity of the man who attacked Frietas. If you have any information you should contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.