Swindon's 'hard as nails' MP with parliament's only black belt takes on pro MMA fighter
Swindon North MP is dubbed 'hardest politician' after taking on a pro MMA fighter in a global Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition
A Swindon MP with parliament's only black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu lost to a pro MMA fighter in a globally renowned 'grappling' competition on the weekend.
Will Stone was elected as Swindon North's MP in July and went head to head with Matt Inman at Polaris 30, a pro MMA event, on Saturday 2 November.
For Stone, who used to train at least 10 times a week, the fight was about "elevating the profile" of the sport and getting the public to "see politicians as humans".
"Everyone in here has a hobby," he told ITV West Country before the match. "The public want to see real people representing them."
Before standing to be a politician, Stone spent 17 years as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) athlete and ran his own training gym, called 10th Planet, in Swindon.
"I did Judo as a child. My dad got me into that to try and keep me from being a tearaway," he says.
He then became a rifleman in the British Army when he was 20, but carried on with the sport and took part in world championship competitions.
He has since handed over ownership of the gym in his constituency so he can focus on being an MP, but Stone wants to use his position to get more people into BJJ.
"I'm not trying to be the best in the world, I'm not even trying to be the best at my club anymore. I'm going there because it's a fun thing to do and I love the sport," he says.
"When I started 17 years ago very few people knew what Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was....but if it wasn't for me doing this, 90% of the people in parliament wouldn't know what it is."
The Swindon North MP also believes his involvement in BJJ has prepared him for the increasingly tough life of being a politician.
"Politics isn't nice...there's a lot of abuse," he says.
"If someone was going to be mean to me, I was in the army, and nobody is going to be worse than my sergeant was in training.
"I have experienced arduous events, like competing in BJJ. I've fought in the cage once, it was terrible.
"Going through tough events in life does make you more resilient."
When fellow MPs found out about Stone's involvement with BJJ, one described him as "hard as nails".
Mike Tapp, Labour MP for Dover and Deal, said on X: "One of the nicest guys in politics...and hard as nails!"
Stone is also one of hundreds of new politicians currently trying to get a seat on one of Westminster's parliamentary select committees. Stone wants to get a place on Culture, Media and Sport.
"My push is that I am an athlete. I've been an athlete, I've helped with charities involved in sports, it is my background," he explains.
"I was a physical training instructor in the army. Having an expertise is a benefit to Parliament."
For Stone, becoming an MP meant having to let go of his commitment to the sport.
"[Training] is very limited now. I try to train once, maybe twice, a week. I do fitness every single day because I think it's good for the mental health. I used to train 10 times a week," he says.
The MP will be donating his fee for the competition to a mental health charity in Swindon.
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