MMA fighter Joyce Vieira takes matters into her own hands to fend off man who allegedly exposed himself

Brazilian MMA fighter Joyce Vieira has delivered some comeuppance to a man who allegedly exposed himself to her during a photoshoot on a beach in Rio de Janeiro earlier this month.

Vieria revealed the incident to Brazilian paper Folha de São Paulo, describing how she spotted a man - identified as Josinei Ferreira - with his swim trunks pulled down, "making noises and groaning."

Vieira asked him to stop, but when he refused, she took matters into her own hands.

"It was very surreal. Generally people who are caught doing this always deny it, 'No, no, no.' He didn't. He continued," she described.

Vieira kicked Ferreira, but he punched her back, before then realising who he was up against.

"The punch made me even angrier. I wanted to kill him," Vieira said.

"When the guy saw that it was going to get real, he started screaming."

Sure enough, Ferreira took off running, but Vieira filed a police report, and he was identified and charged with committing an obscene act.

He has been released from police custody and denied the allegations, with police telling local reporters that he had claimed he "was urinating" on the beach before being approached by Vieira.

The criminal matter is still ongoing, but Vieira has called for stronger punishments for similar incidents.

"We feel powerless. It's very strange because he's going to be in the same city as me, and who knows he might be in the same places.

"That's why I have received an innumerable number of messages from women saying that (in similar situations) they didn't file a report, because they know the suspects would end up being released.

"I think the punishment for these cases should be more severe."