Ric Flair Heated Altercation W/ Bar Employee Caught On Video, Fight Nearly Ensues

Ric Flair nearly handed out figure four leg locks outside a pizza joint in Florida after a heated argument at the bar ended with a challenge to fight in the parking lot ... and the entire ordeal was captured on video!

The 3-minute long video shows an agitated Nature Boy arguing with a Piesanos restaurant manager in Gainesville, FL before another patron steps in and threatens Flair with physical violence.

"Come outside here and talk to me like a man," Ric told the manager he was jawing with, before another man interrupted, standing up, looking at Flair, and ominously saying, "Hey, you wanna go have a talk with me in the parking lot? Cause I'll work you. I don't give a s**t."

Naitch, not one to duck smoke, responded, "What'd you say to me? What'd you say to me?"

The full breadth of the conversation is sometimes difficult to understand, but Flair's heard asking the manager for his name. Bar guy responds "Nicholas," prompting Flair to ask, "Nicholas what? Nicholas D***head!"

The bickering continued, with the manager accusing Flair of cursing at a restaurant employee, which Nature Boy adamantly denied, saying "I never said a cuss word!"

Cue more arguing, with Flair telling one of the bartenders, "I'm gonna give you a thousand dollar tip just to say to him, 'Kiss my ass!'" ... as he turned towards the manager.

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed -- but Ric was pissed, and he let it be known on Instagram.

"I Spent $1500 At [Piesano's] To Be Disrespected More Than I Ever Have In My Entire Life. After Taking 20 Pictures With Customers And Staff, I Was Asked To Leave Because Of An Issue I Had With The Kitchen Manager Taking Too Long In The Bathroom."