MMA fighter subdues passenger who tried to open airplane door mid-flight

A passenger on a U.S. flight attempted to open the emergency exit mid-flight, but his actions were thwarted thanks to former professional mixed martial arts fighter Josh Longood.

As reported by BAKU.WS, this was covered by Mirror.

The incident occurred on board a plane flying from Puerto Rico. Longood was returning home after celebrating his brother's bachelor party when he noticed suspicious behavior from one of the passengers.

According to eyewitnesses, the man suddenly became aggressive, attacked a flight attendant, and headed toward the emergency exit, attempting to open the aircraft door mid-air. Recognizing the potential danger to families with children on board, the former athlete decided to intervene.

As Longood himself recounted, he closely monitored the troublemaker's actions and realized the man had no intention of calming down. When the situation escalated, he swiftly subdued the disruptive passenger and restrained him for about ten minutes.

The troublemaker later managed to free himself from the restraining belts, but the former fighter regained control of the situation once again. In total, he restrained the aggressive passenger for 20 to 30 minutes while the crew prepared for an unscheduled landing.

The plane was diverted to Miami, where the troublemaker was handed over to police officers. After completing the necessary procedures, the flight continued to Chicago with a delay.

@abc7chicago A Frontier Airlines flight heading to Chicago on Sunday had to divert to Miami International Airport because a passenger choked an off-duty flight attendant shortly after he attempted to open an emergency exit door and enter the cockpit, police records show. Several passengers worked together with on-duty flight attendants to restrain the man with flex cuffs, which he broke out of several times, and seatbelt extenders, according to the documents. #news #chicagonews #chicago #travel #flightdiversion ♬ original sound - abc7chicago