A UFC judge was hailed a hero in the UK after he helped a struggling policeman detain a lawless thug armed with a 12-inch knife.

The incident took place at 10.50pm in the Exhibition Square are of York city center in September of last year and was captured on CCTV, with PC Rich Farrar initially having approached the 28 year-old Dean Edwards following reports that he was acting suspiciously.

The evasive Edwards became verbally aggressive and confrontational, which prompted Farrar to search him.

When Farrar got to Edwards waistband, the suspect suddenly launched himself backwards, but the officer was able to wrestle him to the ground.

What Farrar didn’t know at that stage, but video footage clearly shows, is that Edwards had a 12-inch butchers knife tucked into the back of his trousers.

Thankfully, the knife fell to the ground during the struggle and Edwards then attempted to flee, but Farrar was again able to take him down in the middle of the road.

With no police backup at hand and nearby pedestrians just standing and watching, Farrar was left in a frantic struggle to keep the suspect under control.

It was at that stage that 49 year-old Andy Haigh, a professional MMA judge, arrived on the scene and ran to help.

Haigh, who has judged two UFC ‘Fight Night’ events in the UK and is trained in muay thai, boxing and jiu-jitsu, helped pin down Edwards and then secured him in a rear-naked choke hold, enabling the officer to handcuff him.

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I couldn’t see him struggle on his own, Haigh said of his decision to intervene. He was a lone police officer trying to make an arrest and I just helped him out. Someone was going to get hurt.”

Judge Stephen Ashurst later described Edwards as being, someone who is essentially lawless, as he sentenced him to 30 months behind bars.