No one expected a hero step out of a convenience store. Two prospective robbers were sent careening towards safety as a Texas gas station clerk came to the rescue of their would-be victim.

Mayura Dissanayake, the valiant store clerk, is a five-time MMA national champion in his home country in Sri Lanka. Outside the MMA ring, he works at a Fuel Depot in Houston. Dissanayake was standing behind the counter when he spotted his co-worker returning to the store after a run to the bank.

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While walking towards the store, his colleague was then attacked by two men who got out from an SUV parked nearby. The men subsequently attacked Dissanayake's workmate in an evident attempt to seize the bank bag the victim was carrying. Surveillance cameras caught Dissanayake rushing outside to defend his co-worker.

The recorded video showed Dissanayake kicking one of the suspected robbers in the face. Taking advantage of the stunned reactions of the culprits, he then pounced on the other robber.

"Just the reaction, you see someone get beat up, you just go out," Dissaanyake shared. "The first guy I saw I just kicked him in the face. Then I punched the other guy."

Recovering from the punches thrown by Dissanyake, the suspects attempted to escape the scene of the would-be crime. Refusing to let the culprits get away, the MMA fighter slammed one of the robbers to the ground. He then managed to tackle one of the robbers, Odell Mathis, 33, while the other was able to run safely back to their vehicle.

"I just kicked him until he lays down on the floor," he explained. "Until he stopped moving because I wasn't' sure if he had a knife or a gun so I wanted him to stop moving."

Police arrested and charged Mathis with robbery and bodily injury. Mathis' partner and the SUV driver managed to escape.

TagsMayura Dissanayake, Odell Mathis, MMA, Texas, Houston