Let this be a lesson for all the struggling Slytherin students out there. Though times may seem hard now, one day you too may become a beloved MMA fighter. Just ask Josh Herdman, a.k.a. Gregory Goyle from the Harry Potter franchise. Herdman made his big MMA debut last weekend in London, with Mashablereporting he beat Poland's Janusz Walachowski after three rounds in the cage.
The debut, which took place during the Rise of Champions show held by Brad Pickett, prompted a fight-centered interview with MMA On the Road in which Herdman broke down the key differences between duking it out in a cage and serving as Draco Malfoy's go-to guy. "I don't see it so much as a career change," Herdman says of his Potterless fighting career. "I still act and am passionate about both acting and fighting." Herdman's dad, Martin Herdman, was a professional rugby player and a boxer before pursing an acting career of his own. "He taught us all how to fight from an early age," Herdman recalled. "I also played rugby from about 6 to 13."
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For those pondering Potter-related cage matches, Herdman is quick to note that any perceived animosity among the classic Harry Potter cast is nothing much to write home about. "We truly all got on pretty well," Herdman revealed to MMA OTR. "[Jamie Waylett] and I didn't get on in the early days but towards the end he was probably one of my closest friends on set." Herman also hasn't completely abandoned his acting chops, though he admits the life of an actor is pretty similar to "playing the lottery for a living." All that to say: Don't mess with Goyle. Dude's clearly ripped now.
