MMA fighters are taking action against a thief who stole £32,000 worth of Pokémon trading cards

A man was arrested for stealing a valuable Pokémon card collection, but a video shows how two MMA fighters managed to stop him.

“Pokémon” may have started as a video game, and that's still what drives the franchise when it comes to new creatures and locations, but for many, the trading card game is the most important part of the franchise, especially when it comes to merchandise.

The value of original cards has skyrocketed in recent years, and one fan recently put a rare card worth an incredible £400,000 up for grabs.

So it's not too surprising that these cards are attracting the attention of criminals, and someone is now accused of trying to steal a collection worth $40,000 (£32,000). Luckily for the owner, two MMA fighters happened to be nearby and stopped him before he could escape.

The suspect asked to see a folder full of Pokémon cards containing 3,000 cards at Pro Play Game in Miami before grabbing it and leaving the store.

“When I saw him walk away when I told him to drop the stuff, he looked back and laughed,” the store's general manager, AnaMilena Machado, told NBC Miami.

“It felt so helpless at that moment because we were just watching $30,000 to $40,000 of our hard work just disappear.”

Luckily, the suspect was then confronted by two trainers from a nearby martial arts center.

“My friend jumped out of the car, cut him off, and that's when we sat on him and overpowered him with our ju-jitsu,” said Dominic Galiana, one of the two good Samaritans.

Thanks to the two men, the suspect was later arrested by the police and charged with grand theft and aggravated assault.

You can watch the dramatic event as the two trainers tackled and restrained the suspect in the security camera footage below.

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