When Summer Tapasa-Sataraka took out an alleged would-be thief at the Best Buy store she was working security at, she probably had no idea her life was about to change.
After video of her taking out a man who allegedly was trying to steal something blew up, UFC president Dana White said Friday he’s flying her to Las Vegas for UFC 246 next week – and wants her to work for him. White claimed on Instagram that Tapasa-Sataraka was fired from her job after the incident.
“This is Summer Tapasa Sataraka. She stopped this punk from getting away with stealing from BestBuy in Hawaii,” White posted. “She got fired for this. Flying her in this weekend and giving her tickets to the McGregor vs Cowboy fight. I WANT HER TO WORK FOR ME! Get ready for the best weekend of your life summer”
In December, Tapasa-Sataraka saw a man attempting to leave the Best Buy in Waimulu, Hawaii, allegedly without paying for a product. He carried a box in his hands. In security video that quickly went viral, Tapasa-Sataraka first cut the man off by the front door in between security sensor detectors. Then she used her forearms to repeatedly push the man till he eventually crashed through a sign on the floor.
After they spilled off camera, a few seconds go by before they reappear, this time with a second security member attempting to hold the would-be thief down while he pulls Tapasa-Sataraka’s shirt over her head. The man no longer held the item he allegedly was trying to steal.
Tapasa-Sataraka said on social media accounts the video went public that she had seen the man steal something from Best Buy before while she was walking into the store, but she wasn’t close enough to do anything about it. But when she recognized him again, she said, when she was on duty, she acted quickly to stop him.
On her Facebook account, Tapasa-Sataraka said Friday she had just done an interview with “Inside Edition,” and Thursday commented that she needed an agent.