Barefoot Florida man wrangles 8ft alligator in residential neighbourhood

Mike Dragich had no shoes on when he wrangled an 8ft-long alligator in a residential Florida neighbourhood over the weekend.

The MMA fighter, known as "Blue Collar Brawler" online, said the reptile was "running towards [police] and a crowd of people."

"Everybody was screaming," he told Fox 51 Gainesville.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, alligators have inhabited the state's marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes for many centuries.

However due to Florida's tremendous human population growth and residents seeking waterfront homes, alligator-human interactions have been more frequent and with a greater potential for conflict.