From death's door to the Marine Corps, then wrestling gators and fighting in the Octagon

"Florida Man" would be an understatement for Jarhead wrangler Mike Dragich

Marine Corps combat veteran and hulking Florida man Mike Dragich is perhaps the grittiest guest yet.

His spiritual journey is a testament to the power of prayer, carrying him from the valley of death bleeding out in a street alley, to enlisting as a Marine and deploying to the mountains of Afghanistan. Now a certified animal trapper in Florida, last week Mike went viral for submitting a massive alligator on the shoulder of a highway... while barefoot.

In his teenage years, Mike encountered an early brush with death during one of many brawls. After head butting a man who pulled a pistol on him, Mike was shot in the chest at point-blank range. Bleeding out and thinking he was going to die put Mike on the path to a life of service to the United States and to Christ. Much like Chad, it was only until Mike entered the belly of the beast that he was able to find Jesus.

Mike recalled his lessons learned, "Please do not wait until you're covered in blood in the dark by yourself to let the Lord save you. It doesn't have to be your story. Too many guys wait until the very last moment; they wait until their worst valley to experience that. I just pray that somebody understands they don't have to wait."

Mike's future wife helped him find the straight path when she told him the hard truth as he recovered from his wounds, "I remember being in the hospital and my wife now of 16 years... She looked at me and said, 'you need Jesus or you're going to end up in jail or dead.' And I said, 'you're right.'"

Mike saw combat in Afghanistan before he became a martial arts instructor for the Corps, then left the Marines to start a family with his wife who helped Mike save his own life.

Now, his day job is wrangling dangerous animals while he moonlights as an aspiring amateur UFC fighter. The Hercules of Florida Men regularly makes national news taking down 10-foot gators and other beasts that lurk in the jungles of America's Sunshine State. For more on how this blue collar brawler went from disarming drug dealers to serving the Lord, tune into the Resilient Show. Here is the full episode and stay tuned for more stories about freedom, faith, and the undying resilience that can be inspired by faith in Christ.