This is the moment retired MMA fighter Javier Baez overpowers and slams a man threatening him with a knife to the ground in Florida.

The 34-year-old retired fighter can be seen in the footage dodging the 14-inch knife the suspect identified as Omar Marrero, 50, threatened him in a car park behind the 11,000 block of Southwest 211th Street in Cutler Bay at around 4:04 am on 1st November.

The retired fighter can be seen wrapping his arms around Marrero before smashing him to the ground in the off-ring battle.

Baez then disarmed the suspect.

He then reportedly held the suspect in a chokehold until the police arrived on the scene.

Marrero was arrested.

Baez had just arrived at the car park in his car from a Halloween party when Marrero saw him.

Marrero, who the former MMA fighter reportedly suspected was drunk, had started hitting his car window with a different knife before opening the driver’s door to attack Baez.

The retired fighter exited his car and confronted the attacker.

The suspect then reportedly went to put the knife in his car and fought Baez but after failing to win, he went back to his vehicle and retrieved a longer blade.

He then attacked Baez who then parried him and floored him.

Baez later said: “You train so many times that it becomes just a reflex.

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

He added: “I was able to hold him down with my knee and call the cops, and he woke up, cops came, and it was good, easy peasy!”

Baez said he had never seen Marrero before the attack.

The suspect was taken to the Cutler Bay Municipal District and interviewed by the police before being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on 3rd November.

He is currently facing one count each of burglary with assault or battery and aggravated battery, according to local media.

Javier Baez notched up five wins, two losses and one draw before retiring from MMA in 2018.