Tom Hardy stunned onlookers at a martial arts tournament he “secretly arranged” to enter and “nailed it” by going on to win a gold medal.
The Hollywood actor – known for starring in Venom, The Dark Knight Rises, and Mad Max: Fury Road – proved himself a real-life action hero when he competed in the UMAC Milton Keynes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open 2022, held at Oakgrove School on Saturday (September 17). Event sponsor Sean Rosborough revealed the organisers knew Tom would be competing in the contest for weeks but kept it “to themselves” so his appearance would not become a distraction.
Sean, 37, praised Tom for taking photographs with fans, adding he was not fazed by all the mums in the audience who were “all over him.” Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: “He was brilliant. A lot of people were asking for photos, and coming up to him, and he had no problem with that.
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“The mums were all over him. It didn't bother him. When he was fighting, he was focused on what he was doing.
“He’s amazing at Jiu-Jitsu.”
Tom, 45 – who boasts a high-level blue belt in the sport – faced Andy Leatherland in the final round of the tournament. Andy – a 42-year-old sales manager and fellow blue belt holder – signed up for his local tournament after realising Tom may compete and there was a good chance they would face off.
Speaking to the Mail, Andy said the famed actor was “very focused” and brought the same level of intensity he brings to his movie roles. He said: “He didn’t say a word, he didn’t say anything.
“When it came to the match, you couldn’t help notice that it’s him, but then it just became a competition. I made a mistake and he capitalised on that. He absolutely nailed it, and he subbed me, and it was over relatively quickly.”
Andy described Tom as being “absolutely sound” after their battle and said the actor admitted he felt jiu-jitsu is “nerve-racking.” A proud Tom was pictured posing with his gold medal after the tournament, winking at the camera as he held a certificate showing his birth name Edward Hardy.
Peaky Blinders star Tom began training in martial arts in preparation for his role in 2011’s Warrior, and was helped by Liverpool boxer Jack McGann, whose dad ran the Widnes-based Wolsflair gym.
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