Overjoyed Hollywood star Dave Bautista taken to social media after being promoted to brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu after more than a decade of training in the sport.
The 54-year-old wrestler-turned-actor started his martial arts journey in 2010 and quickly became obsessed with it, before making his professional MMA debut in 2012.
Despite winning on debut, Bautista made the decision to not pursue MMA, but he kept up his training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and has now been rewarded for his skill and dedication.
‘Very proud to be posting this. I started training BJJ with @cesargraciebjj @graciefighterph in 2010 and even though I got my a** handed to me by everyone at the academy, I immediately fell in love,’ he wrote on Instagram.
‘It’s a puzzle I’ll never solve and if you know me, you know I get obsessed with things I can’t figure out.
Many celebrities offered their congratulations to the Hollywood superstar, who now has the same belt rank as Ashton Kutcher of ‘That 70s Show’ and ‘Two and a Half Men’ fame.
Ryan Reynolds responded to the post with a series of hearts, Vin Diesel sent an applauding emoji, while Bear Grylls called him a ‘legend’.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu has become very popular with celebrities in recent years, with the likes of Russell Brand, Henry Cavill and Guy Ritchie posting about their achievements in the sport.
Actor Tom Hardy has just this week been promoted from blue belt to purple belt after years of steady training and competition.
Bautista was a 30-year-old bouncer when he fell into professional wrestling, ultimately rising to become one of the WWE’s biggest stars alongside John Cena.
However, unlike Cena, who was allowed to pursue movies on the side, Bautista wasn’t afforded that and left the WWE in 2010.