Joshua Herdman who played Gregory Goyle, Draco Malfoy's loyal henchamn in all 8 "Harry Potter" movies is now an amateur MMA cage fighter. He debuted this weekend and defeated his Polish opponent Janusz Walachowski. Herdman comes from a family of professional sportsmen and it seems like the former actor is following their path.

BBC reports that Herdman is one of the 14 people who have appeared in all 8 "Harry Potter" movies. But other than that, the actor has only appeared in 2 other films. Herdman's father, who is also an actor, was previously a boxer and professional rugby league player before he went into acting. The "Harry Potter" actor's two older brothers also boxed as well.

Herdman adds that even though he is an MMA cage fighter now, he still won't give up acting. He still has an agent and still goes to auditions. Mirror notes that the MMA rookie likes to "play lottery" for a living but he is still passionate for both acting and combat sports. Herdman has appeared in "Sink" alongside his dad, "Wizards vs. Aliens" and "Coming Up."

In an interview with On The Road With Addicted MMA, the Herdman explained that he chose MMA over boxing because it is "raw, exciting and unpredictable." Herdman finds that MMA is more suitable and exciting for him because he has been trained in traditional Japanese juijutsu where he is a black belter.

Herdman also shared in the interview that he has a good relationship with the cast members of the "Harry Potter" franchise. Furthermore, he said that he was most close to fellow Slytherin henchman Jamie Waylett, who played Vincent Crabbe in the popular franchise. Waylett was arrested and jailed for drug possession and other offences in 2009 while he filming one of the "Harry Potter" movies was ongoing.

What do you think of Herdman's foray into MMA fighting? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

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Tags Harry potter, MMA