CCTV footage has been released showing two would-be robbers in Brazil picking on two Mormon missionaries from the US.

One of the missionaries turns on the robbers, disarming one and pummeling the other with punches.

The two robbers can be seen fleeing after the attack, leaving their motorcycle behind.

The incident took place in the town of Manaus, the capital of Brazil's Amazonas region.

A spokesman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told the Washington Post: “The missionary feared for his life and reacted." He said no police report had been filed.

“It looks like an attempted robbery and it fails,” Hawkins said, adding that the missionaries told the church they had been “attacked.”

The spokesman declined to identify either missionary but confirmed they were Americans. They remain in Brazil but are serving in different locations.

“We are grateful that this incident did not end tragically, either for the missionaries or the other individuals involved.

“The guidance given to missionaries is to avoid conflict. Every situation is unique, and as adults, missionaries must make decisions about their safety. In this case, the assailant had a weapon and the missionary reacted in the moment to protect his life and that of his companion.”