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Tom Hardy is not your everyday average Hollywood actor. Instead he has been a lifelong fan of mixed martial arts. After discovering Brazilian jiu-jitsu while training for his role in the 2011 film Warrior, Hardy continued training after the film wrapped and is now winning competitions in his spare time.
The 45-year-old actor made a surprise appearance at the 2022 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open Championship in Milton Keynes, England over the weekend and ultimately walked away with the top prize.
Hardy was spotted at the event wearing a blue gi while winning all of his matches and ultimately winning the event. The certificate was awarded to his real name which is ‘Edward Hardy’.
This wasn't the actor's first appearance at a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition; he is best known for playing Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. The actor and blue belt fighter attended the REORG Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Wolverhampton in August which he also ended up winning.
The event's promoter described Hardy as "a really nice guy" who stayed after his matches to take photos with those in attendance. His opponent in the final match was as surprised as everyone else to see Hardy compete.
One of Hardy's opponents told local media that meeting the Academy Award-nominated actor had left him "shell shocked."
”I recognized him straightaway,” Danny Appleby told the MK Citizen. “Everyone knows who Tom Hardy is, don’t they? I was shell-shocked. He said, ‘Just forget it’s me and do what you would normally do.’”
What do you make of Tom Hardy’s spare time activities? Does it make the sport of mixed martial arts more famous globally? Let us know in the comments.