MMA fighter Eric ‘Ginja Ninja’ Haritakis foils alleged bank robbery

IF you’re going to rob a bank, it pays to make sure the man standing behind you in the queue isn’t an MMA fighter.

If you’re going to rob a bank, it pays to make sure the man standing behind you in the queue isn’t an MMA fighter.

Suspect Michael Jon Neubecker learnt the hard way, after being taken down by Eric ‘Ginja Ninja’ Haritakis.

After watching Neubecker allegedly demand money from the teller at the Grow Financial Federal Credit Union in Largo, Florida, Haritakis, a mixed martial artist and local businessman who was in the bank to make a deposit, chased down the alleged crook, slammed him to the ground, dragged him back to the branch and hogtied him.

Hog tied ... Michael Jon Neubecker

“The teller was empty. She yelled to the other woman across the bank, ‘Hey, that guy just robbed me’ … and I just kind of ran out of the door,” Haritakis told the local Fox 13 news.

“I don’t really know what I was thinking at that time. I just kind of went for it. I figured if he had a weapon, he probably would have pulled it out at that point.”

“I just timed it right and took him down.”

Employees from handed Haritakis some duct tape to tie up the suspect while waiting for police to arrive.

Caught ... Haritakis can be seen marching Neubecker back to the branch.

Was he ever scared? “Of course not.”

But Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualteri wasn’t so impressed.

“You can be trained all you want with your hands but hands front stop bullets,” he said.

“If this guy had a gun as he’s robbing a bank, MMA or Hulk Hogan, it really doesn’t make any difference, you’re not gonna stop a bullet.”

The ‘Ginja Ninja’ hasn’t fought professionally since 2009, and is now running his own Zen Body Foods business.

Haritakis in action.