Source : Perth Now news
An enraged driver has been left red-faced after a road rage confrontation was broken up by a professional fighter on a Queensland highway.
Brisbane-based professional Muay Thai fighter Ryan McDonald was heading home from a camping trip in Noosa with friends on Sunday when he witnessed two women being threatened by a man in a white van on the Bruce Highway.
WATCH VIDEO ABOVE: Professional fighter steps in to help young women caught in road rage incident
McDonald, 19, said he saw a young woman try to merge multiple times into the left lane, but a white van continued to block her.
As the woman approached a build-up of traffic, the van driver cut in front of her, before jumping out and attempting to open her driver’s side door.
“He jumped out of the car in the middle of the highway, and there are these two girls on their own in the car,” McDonald said.
“I was thinking this would be a good opportunity to help, to use what I know and help these girls, and to try and de-escalate the situation.”
McDonald said he instinctively exited his own car and asked the man what he was doing.
“The man instantly tried to start a fight. I told him ‘get back in your van’ … and he took his shirt off,” McDonald said.
“The guy said, ‘You sure you want this?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, yeah I do’. He said I didn’t know who I was messing with.”
As it turned out, the van driver was the one unaware he was facing off against a professional fighter with eight career victories, four of those knockouts.
“I was pretty calm the whole time. I didn’t try and pose a threat or make myself look big (but) he was trying to be threatening,” McDonald said.
Other motorists came to assist, one even recognising McDonald from his online presence before telling the van driver he was about to engage in a fight with a professional.
“The (van driver) said ‘show me how professional you are then’,” McDonald said.
“He told me I couldn’t fight outside the gym or it would ruin my reputation. Well, I think he’s made a pretty good reputation for himself.”
The van driver eventually backed down and got back in his car.
The incident was caught on dashcam and posted to social media, where it has racked up almost two million views and an outpouring of support for McDonald.
“It was the best possible outcome, just de-escalating the situation. Everyone got home safe that day,” McDonald said.
Police confirmed no charges have been laid over the incident.
