This Former ‘Harry Potter’ Star Just Made His Debut As MMA Fighter, And He Won His First Match!

You think you’re cool? You are not cool. 28-year-old Josh Herdman is cool. He’s so cool that you need a blanket whenever you’re in the same room as him.

Herdman played Gregory Goyle (Draco Malfoy’s henchman) in the Harry Potter series, which means he could have wasted the rest of his life away sitting on a rock at a park, and he would have still been considered a badass because he starred in Harry Freaking Potter.

But no, starring in one of the most successful film franchises in history just wasn’t good enough for Herdman. He wanted more out of life, and he certainly got it. He made his amateur MMA debut recently with a convincing win over Polish opponent Janusz Walachowski.

He had been training for this moment for years. During an interview with Addicted MMA, Herdman revealed he’s been training “traditional Japanese jujitsu for nearly five years and holds a shodan black belt under Sensei Perry at the Bu’sen.”

Herdman’s father was a boxer and a former rugby player, so it’s safe to say Herdman has been attracted to these tough sports for a long time, which is why no one in his family was shocked by his career change.

Although, Herdman himself doesn’t consider it much of a career change.

I don’t see it so much as a career change, I still act and am passionate about both acting and fighting. I obviously grew up around sport, looking at my Dad’s newspaper clippings as a kid (Josh’s father, Martin Herdman was a boxer and professional rugby league player prior to pursuing an acting career in his late 20’s), he taught us all how to fight from an early age, I also played rugby from about 6 – 13.

He admits he still has an agent who gets him auditions, but he feels like being an actor “is a little bit like playing the lottery for a living,” which does make sense.

However, trying to become a professional MMA fighter is a little bit like playing the lottery of death. There have been several fighters who have died from their injuries. It seems like Herdman is just addicted to danger.

I chose MMA because I love the sport. It’s raw, exciting and unpredictable. I find it more interesting than boxing although I appreciate the beauty and art in boxing. It also made sense to move onto MMA because of my jujitsu training.