Veteran UFC Referee’s Video Shows BJJ Saving On-Duty Cop From Deadly Attack

Mike Beltran is known in the UFC for his towering frame and signature mustache. But beyond the Octagon, the veteran referee wears many hats: Marine veteran, LASD detective, father, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. That background often shapes the way he sees the world, especially when it comes to the life-or-death value of training.

So when Beltran recently shared a clip online, it wasn’t just another viral post. It was a moment that captured how years of grappling discipline could mean the difference between tragedy and survival.

The clip, originally shared by the BJJ Cops account, shows an officer approaching a house. Suddenly, a man bursts through the door, lunging with what appears to be a knife. A woman follows him out of the house, screaming “no, no” as the chaos unfolds.

In an instant, the officer reacts. He shoots for a double-leg takedown, slamming the suspect into the wall. Even as the man tries to stab, the cop holds firm, yelling for the woman to get back. Seconds later, he takes the attacker to the ground, where a fellow officer rushes in to help. The footage cuts off with the officers in control.

Beltran reposted the video on Instagram with a powerful message about why training matters, as he wrote in the caption, “This LEO was clearly focused and ready for the job at hand. He clearly demonstrated he has a wrestling/grappling background and instantaneously responded to the threat of a man attacking him with a knife. I don’t know the details of this situation or how severely he was injured.”

“This situation could’ve ended in a tragic manner,” he warned, before stressing that the officer survived “because he trains and dedicates time to being in shape.” Beltran didn’t shy away from the harsh truth either. “As for the suspect, deadly force completely was applicable in this situation,” he added. But what mattered most, the veteran UFC referee emphasized, was that the officer was alive. He finished with a rallying call as he further wrote, “This is why we invest in ourselves and train so we’ll go home safe to our families and loved one. Can this LEO get a “HELL YEAH”

It’s not surprising that Beltran would use his platform to highlight this. His life story runs parallel to the values he preaches. A proud Mexican-American, he served as a Marine before becoming a detective with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and also holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

The officer’s use of a simple double-leg takedown, a staple in wrestling and BJJ, neutralized what could have been a fatal knife attack. As such, the UFC referee’ takeaway? Discipline saves lives. The same moves fighters drill endlessly in the gym can mean everything when real danger arrives unannounced. In fact, according to another prominent voice in the world of MMA, BJJ doesn’t just help in lifesaving situations alone!

UFC’s Joe Rogan reveals why he considers jiu-jitsu one of the “most rewarding things in life”

Rogan’s connection to jiu-jitsu runs deep. He first discovered the sport in 1996 after being captivated by MMA and has since spent nearly three decades training. Today, the longtime UFC commentator holds black belts in both Gi and No-Gi jiu-jitsu, something that didn’t come without years of struggle and discipline.

As such, speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast no. 2359, Rogan explained that the real value of BJJ goes far beyond self-defense as he stated, “Jiu-jitsu is one of the most rewarding things in life, it’s super hard to do. It’s really good for your head. Like, jiu-jitsu people in general, you get d—heads in every walk of life, but you get the nicest people, for the most part.”

To him, lasting in the sport isn’t possible without strength of character. The veteran commentator even went as far as saying, “You get people of character, because you have to have character to stick it out. If you’ve been doing jiu-jitsu for eight years, I’m 99 percent sure I can hang out with you. Like, you’re a dude who’s got his s— together.”

As such, Mike Beltran’s post and Rogan’s words circle back to the same truth: jiu-jitsu is more than just a sport. For a cop on duty, it’s the difference between life and death. For everyday practitioners, it’s a path to resilience, humility, and character. Both perspectives underline the same truth: the gentle art isn’t just a sport, it’s a way of life.