Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt MP Will Stone defeated in fight with MMA veteran

Labour MP Will Stone was defeated in his jiu-jitsu fight against an MMA professional on Saturday.

The newly elected Swindon North MP was forced to submit after four minutes and 37 seconds, almost halfway through the 10-minute bout against veteran fighter Matt Inman at Croydon’s Fairfield Halls in south London.

Both men had agreed to donate their purses from the event to The Kelly Foundation, a mental health charity in Mr Stone’s constituency.

The fight was part of an event organised by Polaris, which approached Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and former soldier Mr Stone after he was elected.

After leaving the Army, Mr Stone ran a martial arts gym and was a regular competitor on the national grappling circuit before entering politics.

Before Saturday’s fight, he said: “I did the trials for Polaris twice and didn’t quite make the cut, but after I became the first ever Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt MP, they reached out to me.

“It’s an amazing opportunity to elevate the sport so I had to take it.”

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