Florida
Florida MMA fighter wrestles 10-foot alligator near elementary school
A Florida MMA fighter had the match of a lifetime when he wrestled a 10-foot alligator in front of nearly 200 cheering spectators outside a Jacksonville elementary school, wild video of the encounter shows.
Amateur fighter Mike Dragich, 33, took on the unusual opponent inside a parking lot near the school as people gathered to watch, FOX 35 Orlando reported.
“We get there. I walked through the gate. And boom. There it was just ready to go right there in the parking lot, and we just had to get the job done,” he told the local station.
Dragich, dressed in a muscle shirt, grabbed the large gator by the tail in an attempt to drag it as onlookers screamed at the reptile’s escapes and snaps, according to the video.
After the beast broke free, the local veteran armed himself with a catch pole which he was able to put around the alligator’s neck.
The animal rolled around in continuous circles fighting the restraint as the crowd screams while closely watching the man-vs.-beast match-up.
“I felt like Batman, for real, you know,” he told the station.
With the catch pole still around the gator’s neck, the MMA fighter jumps onto the animal’s shoulders and he and multiple Jacksonville firefighters sit on the reptile to hold it down.
“A lot of fighters will understand that when you go to the cage, you’re nervous but once that cage door closes, you gotta be focused and honestly that’s what I remembered from that night,” Dragich said.
Alligators are common in Florida with a statewide population of about 1.3 million.
Floridians can report “nuisance” gators over four feet in length that may pose a threat to people, pets or property in order to have a licensed trapper come out to remove them, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The reptiles that are removed are then euthanized so that they do not return to the locations where they were captured or cause disruptions to existing alligator social structures in other areas, the Commission states.
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Florida Lottery offers several draw games for those hoping to win one of the available jackpots. Here’s a look at the winning numbers for games played on Monday, May 19, 2025
Winning Powerball numbers from May 19 drawing
13-14-37-50-60, Powerball: 11, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 19 drawing
11-12-27-30-35, Powerball: 07
Winning Cash4Life numbers from May 19 drawing
02-12-36-48-49, Cash Ball: 01
Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from May 19 drawing
Midday: 01-22-24-27-33
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 19 drawing
Morning: 05
Matinee: 06
Afternoon: 09
Evening: 04
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 2 numbers from May 19 drawing
Midday: 7-0, FB: 6
Evening: 4-3, FB: 8
Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 19 drawing
Midday: 0-0-6, FB: 6
Evening: 0-0-5, FB: 8
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 19 drawing
Midday: 3-3-0-8, FB: 6
Evening: 9-1-0-7, FB: 8
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from May 19 drawing
Midday: 4-0-1-9-8, FB: 6
Evening: 6-0-9-7-8, FB: 8
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Where can you buy Florida Lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at any authorized retailer throughout Florida, including gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. To find a retailer near you, go to Find Florida Lottery Retailers.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $599 or less: Claim at any authorized Florida Lottery retailer or Florida Lottery district office.
- Prizes for $600 to $1 million: Must be claimed in person at any Florida Lottery district office for games that do not offer an annual payment option.
- Prizes greater than $1 million and all prizes with an annual payment option: Must be claimed at Florida Lottery headquarters, except Mega Millions and Powerball prizes, which can be claimed at any Florida Lottery district office.
You also can claim your winnings by mail if the prize is $250,000 or less. Mail your ticket to the Florida Lottery with the required documentation.
Florida law requires public disclosure of winners
If you’re a winner, Florida law mandates the following information is public record:
- Full name
- City of residence
- Game won
- Date won
- Amount won
- Name and location of the retailer where the winning ticket was purchased.
When are the Florida Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Florida Lotto: 11:15 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Jackpot Triple Play: 11:15 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash4Life: 9 p.m. daily.
- Fantasy 5: Daily at 1:05 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.
- Cash Pop: Daily at 8:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 2:45 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.
- Pick 2, 3, 4, 5: Daily at 1:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Florida digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.
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Congresswoman Lois Frankel addresses President Trump’s moves to close the U.S. Department of Education during press conference in West Palm Beach
- Students in 16 Florida counties will start their summer vacation before Memorial Day.
- Most Florida kids will start summer vacation in the week after the Memorial Day holiday.
The 2024-2025 school year is winding down to a close.
Students in 16 counties will start their summer vacation this week. Most will have to wait until the week after the Memorial Day holiday.
For students in seven counties, they’ll be waiting until June for the last day of school.
Here’s what you should know.
When is the last day of school in Florida?
Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 26, but 16 Florida schools will have finished the 2024-2025 school year by the time the holiday arrives. Here’s a list of schools closing before Memorial Day:
What Florida schools are closed for Memorial Day?
All Florida schools still in session will be closed Monday, May 26, for Memorial Day.
What’s the last day of school for all Florida schools?
Summer vacation started before Memorial Day for students in 16 counties.
School for students in seven Florida counties won’t end until June.
All others will start their summer vacation in the days after Memorial Day.
Here’s an alphabetical list of the last day of school for all Florida counties. All students still in school will have off Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day:
What are 2025 federal holidays?
In 2025, there are 12 instead of the usual 11 federal holidays, although two fell on the same day.
Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day both fall on Jan. 20 this year. Since 1965, federal employees in the Washington, D.C., area are entitled to a holiday on the day a president is inaugurated. President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn into office on Jan. 20.
➤ Trump Inauguration week
Here are 2025 federal holidays:
- Jan. 1: New Year’s Day
- Jan. 20: Inauguration Day; Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Feb. 17: Washington’s Birthday. Many state and local governments designation it as Presidents Day.
- May 26: Memorial Day
- June 19: Juneteenth
- July 4: Independence Day
- Sept. 1: Labor Day
- Oct. 13: Columbus Day
- Nov. 11: Veterans Day
- Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day
- Dec. 25: Christmas Day
Florida state holidays for 2025
When are 2025 Florida state holidays?
The Florida Department of Management Services lists the following days observed as paid holidays by state agencies:
- Jan. 1, Wednesday: New Year’s Day
- Jan. 20, Monday: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- May 26, Monday: Memorial Day
- July 4, Friday: Independence Day
- Sept. 1, Monday: Labor Day
- Nov. 11, Tuesday: Veterans Day
- Nov. 27, Thursday: Thanksgiving
- Nov. 28: Friday after Thanksgiving
- Dec. 25, Thursday: Christmas Day
➤ See list of 2025 Florida, federal holidays, including new one for Sunshine State
GAINESVILLE, Fla.– One of the Florida Gators’ top targets in the NCAA Transfer Portal is taking a visit with the program.
Arkansas transfer guard Boogie Fland will visit the program on Monday, marking his first trip to Gainesville since entering the portal. On3’s Zach Abolverdi first broke the news before multiple outlets later confirmed Fland’s visit.
Fland is rated as the No. 3 point guard and No. 10 overall player in the portal, according to On3.
The former NBA Draft entry has been linked with Florida on multiple occasions since announcing his intentions to leave Arkansas. UF senior writer Chris Harry previously reported that head coach Todd Golden met with a transfer portal target in New York City with Fland believed to be the player due to being from The Bronx.
Then, after Fland withdrew from the NBA Draft, Golden hinted that Florida was close to sealing the deal with a portal target, also believed to be Fland.
“We are still working on it,” he recently said on the ‘Run It Back’ podcast co-hosted by former Gator Chandler Parsons. “We are close to adding an impactful player that might help get us over the top.”
In his lone season with the Razorbacks, Fland averaged 13.5 points and 5.1 assists per game while shooting 34 percent from the field.
With the Gators losing four contributing guards in seniors Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard and outgoing transfer Denzel Aberdeen, a commitment from Fland is of the upmost importance to Florida as it looks to rebuild its guard rotation.
The Gators recently added transfers Xaivian Lee (Princeton) and AJ Brown (Ohio) to its roster while retaining reserve guard Isaiah Brown. Florida will also welcome high school recruits Alex Lloyd and CJ Ingram to the fold for the 2025-26 season.
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