Tom Hardy surprised competitors at a martial arts competition over the week when he quietly entered and won the event.
The 45-year-old "Mad Max" star participated in the 2022 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open Championship, which was held by Ultimate Martial Arts Championships at Oakgrove school in Milton Keynes, England, on Saturday, the Guardian reported.
Dressed in a blue gi, the martial arts training robe, Hardy proceeded to win all his matches. A spokesperson for the event described the actor as a "really nice guy" who was a "real pleasure" to host at the tournament.
"Everyone recognized him, but he was very humble and was happy to take time out for people to take photographs with him," the spokesperson said. "It was a real pleasure to have him compete at our event."
Earlier this year, Hardy, a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, pulled a similar stunt when he won the REORG Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Wolverhampton. The event was organized by the charity REORG, which Hardy is a trustee for, and raised funds for military personnel, veterans, and emergency service workers.
"I recognized him straight away. Everyone knows who Tom Hardy is, don't they?" Danny Appleby, Hardy's opponent in Wolverhampton told local newspaper the Teeside Gazette after facing off against the actor. "I was shell-shocked. He said, 'Just forget it's me, and do what you would normally do.'"
Appleby continued, "He's a really strong guy. You wouldn't think it with him being a celebrity. I do OK. I've done about six tournaments and I've been on the podium in every one. But he's probably the toughest competitor I've had — he certainly lived up to his Bane character, that's for sure."
Hardy got to put his fighting skills to good use in his role as a U.S. Marine who enters a mixed martial arts contest in the film "Warrior." Speaking with the Guardian at the time, Hardy described the grueling training regimen he undertook in preparation for the role.
"I did two hours boxing a day, two hours muay thai, two hours jiu-jitsu followed by two hours choreography and two hours of weightlifting seven days a week for three months," Hardy said. "So come on! You have to really want to do that, so it was a challenge."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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