Will Stone, the Member of Parliament for Swindon North, is gearing up for a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition at Polaris while maintaining a remarkably modest training schedule. The 43-year-old Labour politician, who entered the House of Commons earlier this year, has been practicing BJJ for 17 years and holds a black belt in judo.
Stone, dubbed by some as the “world’s hardest politician,” is preparing to face off against Mixed Martial Arts professional Matt Inman in a charity event. Despite his extensive background in martial arts, the MP’s current commitments allow him to train in BJJ just once a week, a stark contrast to his previous regimen of 15 sessions per week.
In an interview with ITV News, Stone expressed confidence in his abilities, stating, “I think I can win. I’ve probably got a 20 percent chance of winning.” He acknowledged Inman’s established reputation but believes his own strengths in certain positions could give him an edge.
The politician’s journey to the mat is as intriguing as his current role. Before entering politics, Stone served as a rifleman in the British Army, an experience he credits for developing the robustness required for his current position. “Both the army and competing in jiu-jitsu makes you quite robust, and I think that’s very important for an MP because it is an arduous job,” Stone explained.
Drawing parallels between his martial arts experience and political career, Stone highlighted the problem-solving aspects of BJJ. “Jiu-jitsu is live action problem solving. So I’m trying to submit my opponent while they’re trying to submit me. You have to think on your feet constantly. And I think that’s useful in politics. You’ve got to be malleable for both.”
Polaris 30 is set to take place on Saturday, 2nd November at Fairfield Halls in London. The event will be available on UFC Fight Pass and features a stacked card of grappling and no-gi matches across multiple weight classes.
Main Event: The headlining bout is a middleweight grappling match between Condit and MVP (Polaris). This promises to be an exciting contest between two skilled mixed martial artists.
Co-Main Event: The co-main event features a 70kg title match between Helena Crevar and Blackman. This match will determine the champion in this weight class.
Featured Bouts:
- O’Flanagan vs Geyer: A heavyweight no-gi contest
- Hue vs Krikorian: A lightweight #1 contender no-gi match
- Leon vs Younger: A welterweight no-gi bout
O’Flanagan was a last minute replacement for Pat Downey.
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