Michael Chandler has found a new training partner: Tom Hardy. The UFC lightweight shared a video of the two working together at the actor’s gym, turning a session of close-range fighting into a joke about body shots.
“Stopped by @tomhardy gym to [indulge] in a little spiciness,” Chandler wrote in the post supplied for this story. He described the work as “fighting in a phone booth and trying to put water in the basement,” then added: “disclaimer: no livers were lacerated in the making of this video.” His sign-off was simpler: “Couple of lads being dudes.”
The King Johnnie himself, Tom Hardy has spent years training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and his interest goes beyond preparing for a film role. He won gold at the Milton Keynes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open in 2022 after winning both of his matches. At the time, he was a blue belt and a trustee of REORG, a charity that uses jiu-jitsu to support military veterans and others dealing with injury or mental-health challenges.
Tom Hardy Joins Michael Chandler for a Close-Range Training Session
Acting brought Hardy to the sport in the first place. He began learning martial arts for the 2011 film Warrior, in which he played a mixed martial arts fighter. Since then, he has competed in grappling tournaments rather than keeping the training strictly behind the camera. His screen credits include The Dark Knight Rises, Peaky Blinders and the Venom films, but he has also talked about training as a personal pursuit.
For Chandler, a gym visit comes at a less playful point in his career. The 40-year-old is 23-11 in professional MMA and 2-6 in the UFC. He has lost four fights in a row, most recently suffering a first-round TKO against Mauricio Ruffy at UFC Freedom 250 in June. Three of those four defeats ended before the final bell. The results have prompted calls for him to retire, including from fellow fighters and analysts. Chandler isn’t ready to do that.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show in September, he said he “absolutely” intends to keep fighting. Asked about the damage he has taken, he acknowledged that concern is reasonable but said he has not noticed a decline. “I don’t feel like I’ve lost a step whatsoever,” he said. “So we’ll keep on going.”
He also remains interested in the Conor McGregor fight that never happened. Chandler and McGregor coached opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter, but their planned bout did not take place. Chandler said this month that he still thinks the matchup makes sense, while acknowledging that whether McGregor returns remains unresolved.
None of that turns a session with Hardy into a comeback announcement. Chandler’s post presents it as two men enjoying a workout, with a liver-shot joke thrown in.
