In 2011, Tom Hardy teamed up with Joel Edgerton for Warrior. The MMA-based film grossed only $24 million on a $25 million budget. So the movie didn’t capture the audience’s attention when it was released. But over the years, it has become a beloved film that’s loved due to its fights and emotional arcs.
Now, more than ten years after the release of the film, Edgerton was asked if he keeps up with his MMA training. The actor answered that he doesn’t due to his injuries, but he’s blown away by Hardy’s dedication towards the fighting style. After all, he’s winning Jiu-Jitsu tournaments.
Joel Edgerton Was Impressed And Terrified Of Tom Hardy’s Dedication Towards Jiu-Jitsu
In an interview with The Guardian, Joel Edgerton revealed that he hasn’t been training like he did to prepare for Warrior. Instead, he’s taking it slow with kickboxing due to myriad injuries. However, he complimented his co-star Tom Hardy and expressed his disbelief at his fighting prowess.
Edgerton said:
“I’d be terrified to fight Tom now because he’s really kept up with the jiu-jitsu. I got quite messed up from the wrestling aspects of Warrior and still have some old neck injuries, so I do more training than fighting – a bit of boxing and kickboxing. Tom is an amazing dude. I think he’s turned up three times now to enter random jiu-jitsu competitions.”
It’s true that 45-year-old Hardy has participated and won not one or two, but three times in Jiu-Jitsu competitions. The actor surprised everyone when he began showing up to these competitions. But now, he’s part of a club that contains names like Henry Cavill, Brad Pitt, and Mark Zuckerberg.
Tom Hardy Has Won Gold 3 Times In Jiu-Jitsu Tournaments Till Now
Tom Hardy has shown up in some famed Jiu-Jitsu competitions. The actor is a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He participated in the REORG Open and ended up winning it. He competed in the 36 years and above division, both in the 82.3kg in gi and 85.5kg in no-gi categories. The Revenant actor won in both of them.
After this, the Venom star secured another win at the UMAC or Ultimate Martial Arts Championships. He won the 2022 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open Championship held by UMAC. The Mad Max: Fury Road star competed in the 41 years and above division, 82.3kg in gi, and won the gold medal.
So, he has won in a total of three categories. Mohamed Itoumaine, a referee, with a second-degree black belt, said this about Hardy:
“He’s really legitimate. A lot of people think, ‘Oh, Tom Hardy – he’s just a superstar.’ No, you get him on the mat and he’ll smash you.”
It certainly looks like Hardy isn’t messing around with his Jiu-Jitsu training and is serious about building a name for himself as a legitimate competitor. But will he compete again? That remains to be seen.
Source: The Guardian
