In perhaps the most on-brand move ever, movie star Tom Hardy surprised attendees at a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition in the UK this week when he showed up and entered the tournament—and walked away with a trophy.
“Everyone recognised him but he was very humble and was happy to take time out for people to take photographs with him,” a spokesperson for the contest told the Guardian. “It was a real pleasure to have him compete at our event.”
The actor placed gold in the 2022 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open Championship in Milton Keynes, after registering to compete under his legal name, Edward Hardy, and winning each of his matches. One of the fighters that he went up against was martial artist Danny Appleby, who told the press that he was “shell-shocked” when his opponent turned out to be the Venom and Mad Max star, although the actor reportedly told him: “Just forget it’s me and do what you would normally do.”
“He’s a really strong guy…You wouldn’t think it with him being a celebrity,” said Appleby. “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.”
This is Hardy’s second martial arts victory this year. Last month, he took part in an open jiu-jitsu championship in Wolverhampton that raised funds for military veterans and emergency services through REORG, a charity of which he is a trustee.
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