Maria Ribeiro catches man who exposed himself to her, hands him to police
You’d be forgiven to think this is an extract from the latest superhero movie, but this is very much real. BRAVE CF women’s strawweight fighter Maria Ribeiro got caught up in a police case while preparing to stock up on groceries during the Coronavirus pandemic. Accompanied by her sister-in-law, the Brazilian fighter was preparing to leave home for the grocery store when a man exposed himself to them, showing his genitals.
He immediately took off, but Maria caught up to him, fought him off, and held him until the police got there. Ribeiro said she was compelled to take action because she felt the perpetrator could eventually expose himself to the several kids that live and play in the streets of her neighborhood, in Sinop, Mato Grosso.
“I train in Curitiba (Southern Brazil) but decided to go back home to be quarantined with my family. My sister-and-law and I were getting ready to go to the grocery store when a man got off his bike and started exposing himself to us and making gestures. We told him off, but it wasn’t enough. Then, he ran off and we decided to catch up with him. I have kids, nieces and nephews in my family, my neighborhood is very child-friendly and to have this guy on the loose was no good”, said Maria Ribeiro, who made sure to fight him off and keep him tied up until police came to take him over.
“I caught up to him, and fought him off, I kept him there. Unlucky for him, I’m a fighter, and know exactly what to do in these situations. He kept trying to get out of it, saying he had some meat in his pants, but we have witnesses. I can’t imagine how many women go through something like this on a daily basis, and I did it for them too. I wouldn’t feel at peace with myself if I didn’t try to get him. After I caught up to him, there was a small commotion and the women here in Sinop were all cheering for me. I got so many messages from women in my social media, and it feels great to know that this idiot didn’t get away with it”.
Aptly nicknamed “Wonder Woman,” due to her love for the comic books and her fighting prowess, Maria says she felt empowered by taking control of the situation and claims she’s constantly inspired by the character.
“I love Wonder Woman because she’s that boss lady who takes charge, and that’s what I did in that situation. I like to think I’m a bit like her, and I felt empowered being able to help take a criminal down just like the character”.
Maria Ribeiro currently holds a 1-1 record inside the BRAVE CF cage, with both of her bouts taking place in India. After a thunderous debut at BRAVE CF 20, when she quickly knocked out Micol Di Segni in the first minute of their bout, she made her return and lost a tough decision against Karolina Wojcik.
