Have you ever wondered what Hollywood stars think of MMA fighters? Behind the glamour of the silver screen, actors often play devilish killing machines, but what about in real life? Well, Tom Hardy got a taste of the real deal while filming his upcoming brutal crime thriller ‘Havoc’, which was released on April 25. The BAFTA award winner is working alongside the legendary Gareth Evans of The Raid fame, and amid the action, Hardy found himself stepping into the world of professional MMA. While filming intense fight scenes, he shared a scene with none other than former UFC strawweight contender Michelle Waterson-Gomez, which made Hardy understand why there is a difference between common folks and fighters.
With a career record of 18 victories and 13 defeats, Michelle Waterson-Gomez fought under the UFC banner in the strawweight division for 16 years. With decades of experience behind her, Gomez was one of the most technical fighters, but her UFC career saw a downfall toward the end. After her MMA career finished at UFC 303, she transitioned to Hollywood as a stuntwoman. ‘The Karate Hottie’ became a part of the ‘Havoc’ team after Evans brought her into the project, and it was a rather good decision from the director.
Talking to Dexerto, Hardy explained that Waterson-Gomez is fun to work with and that it’s truly enjoyable to witness how her MMA movements improve on set. ‘Michele’s so lovely. It was brilliant watching her. I don’t think that was her first or second film acting project, but she’s brilliant, and it was so lovely to watch her work. She really delved into that character. I really enjoyed it.’ When asked about the experience of training alongside a former MMA fighter, Hardy emphasized that it was so tough for him that they had to bring in his body double. “Fighting Michele was terrifying.”
He further added, “She is strong. She is really strong, and she is really hard. She kicks really hard, so I had to switch out with Jakie (stunt double) because it actually really, really hurt. I wasn’t quick enough to move out of the way, to move out of the way. There’s a particular piece—two sets of pieces by the Oven—which was just too fast. It was like two five-hit combos when you get slammed up against, and then the leg drop. I just couldn’t keep up, so poor old Jakie took a pounding.”
Tom Hardy reveals the terror he felt fighting former MMA star Michelle Waterson-Gomez in new movie pic.twitter.com/CrzXxWjXZe
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) April 25, 2025
Quite a bold statement from Tom Hardy, considering that he took some pretty nasty shots while filming the UFC-type thriller Warrior back in 2011. It’s worth noting that Hardy has also been training in BJJ since 2011 and is currently a purple belt. Moreover, he entered the 2022 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open Championship organised by the Ultimate Martial Arts Championships at Oakgrove School in Milton Keynes and won the entire thing. So it is safe to say that he is conditioned to be pushed, but despite that, Waterson-Gomez came at him hard. Interestingly, as per Waterson-Gomez, Hardy can turn into a fighter full-time.
Tom Hardy receives praise from Michelle Waterson-Gomez
“Oh, Tom is amazing. He has an amazing feel for… he is a martial artist… Like I wouldn’t separate him… I wouldn’t say, ‘Oh, he’s just…he’s an actor and he’s a hobbyist, like a martial artist.’ No. Like he, like, lives to be a martial artist. He lives that life,” said the former UFC fighter when asked about working with Tom Hardy.
Waterson-Gomez further expressed that Tom Hardy is a dedicated actor, but she believes he could also be a fighter. She even gave him some training on the “Havoc” set. “It translates, because you see how dedicated he is as a fighter…or as an actor, right? How dedicated and how deeply he goes into character, into understanding the character, studying the character, breaking down the plot, breaking down the script. Those are all things that you have to do as a fighter as well.”
This is not an endorsement of the movie but rather an unfiltered opinion from a former fighter about an actor. Regardless, what are your thoughts on ‘Havoc’? State your opinion in the comments below.
The post BJJ Purple Belt Tom Hardy Recalls ‘Terrifying’ Moment With Ex-UFC Star Michelle Waterson on Havoc Set appeared first on EssentiallySports.
