The American superhero film Thor was an instant hit upon its release in 2011, starring Chris Hemsworth as the muscle-bound title character.
Over in Northern Europe, the real Thor started making waves of his own.
After beginning a strongman career and winning national titles in his native Iceland in the late 2000s, Hafthor Julius Bjornsson, affectionately known as Thor, competed in the World’s Strongest Man (WSM) category for the first time in 2011.
When he came sixth, he wasn’t just there to compete, he immediately stood out. To put it this way, it was hard to miss him.
At 6ft 3in tall and weighing 450lbs (that’s just over 32 stone!), Björnsson is one of the most imposing figures the sport has ever seen, and he was clearly very good at the 22-year-old became the fourth youngest WSM finalist of all time.
Björnsson lost 50 kg in his strongman days (left) due to his fight with Hall (right)
For his fight with Hall, he reduced his weight to 335 pounds after losing 50 kg through a strict diet
Hafthor Julius Bjornsson, aka Thor, started out as a strongman before starring in Game of Thrones
Björnsson played The Mountain in five series of the award-winning television show
He was back again the following year, this time finishing third, before repeating the feat in 2013.
After taking the strongman world by storm, it was time for another challenge, and Björnsson got his first big break as an actor when he was asked to play the role of Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane for the fourth season of Game of Playing Thrones.
The popular series was looking for someone to take on the role of the royal protector after having two separate actors in the first two series, and Björnsson fit the bill, starring in series four to eight.
Game of Thrones had little shortage of physically imposing characters during its eight-year run from 2011 to 2019, but no one could keep up with Björnsson. He became a household name.
Björnsson’s popularity had reached new heights and he caught the attention of a man who was at the peak of his powers: Conor McGregor.
The MMA icon was on his way to stardom after a series of outstanding knockouts in the UFC and just months before he won his first world title against Jose Aldo, he invited Björnsson to his gym for a sparring session.
Björnsson fought with MMA star Conor McGregor in 2015 and appeared in black shoes and jeans
McGregor has put on a ton of muscle in recent years, but in 2015 he still weighed in at a 145-pound featherweight.
Seeing him go up against a man three times his weight was a mesmerizing sight, and they were a foot apart in height too.
The sparring footage is surreal, and Björnsson hardly lacked confidence as he turned up in regular shoes and jeans.
Meanwhile, McGregor is drenched in sweat and circles Thor as he tries to target the body.
There were no headshots – McGregor was just weeks away from the biggest fight of his life – but it was still exciting to see two physical specimens boxing and fighting in very different weight classes.
Perhaps it was here that Björnsson got a real taste for the fighting game he later became involved in.
But he was still a strongman first and foremost, and the ultimate WSM crown continued to elude him.
Between 2012 and 2017, he secured six consecutive podium finishes without climbing the top step.
Finally, 2018 was Thor’s year as he became the third Icelandic athlete to win the WSM after Jon Pall Sigmarsson and Magnus Ver Magnusson.
The year before, Björnsson had been one point ahead of Britain’s Eddie Hall, but this time he didn’t let himself be challenged for the title.
Björnsson finally won the World’s Strongest Man award in 2018 after six previous podium finishes
Björnsson’s rivalry with Eddie Hall (pictured) grew during their strongman days
Bjornsson then broke Hall’s deadlift world record by lifting 501 kg in 2020
However, that narrow defeat sparked a rivalry with Hall, and their feud only intensified when, in 2020, Björnsson beat Hall’s deadlift world record by a single kilogram by successfully completing a 501kg rep.
The two men had gone back and forth in strongman competitions over the years, but Björnsson wanted to settle their rivalry in a different way and called for a boxing match with Hall in early 2020. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Hall accepted .
Fans of the pair may have initially thought the fight was a gimmick. How could two men weighing more than 400 pounds get into a boxing ring?
Well, Björnsson quickly realized he probably couldn’t and began his drastic weight loss program.
Working under trainers Billy Nelson and Vilhjálmur Hernandez, he significantly reduced his diet and began training twice a day to improve his boxing skills.
If there were any concerns that Björnsson might not take boxing seriously, he quickly dispelled them by staging exhibition fights.
Thor faced former WBO European light heavyweight champion Steven Ward in January 2021 and then took on former amateur star Simon Vallily four months later.
He remained active by participating in his first non-exhibition fight in September 2021, stopping Canadian professional arm wrestler Devon Larratt within one round.
The Covid pandemic delayed his meeting with Hall, but when the grudge match broke out on March 19, 2022, Björnsson was more than ready and appeared to be in stunning shape.
Having weighed 450 pounds during his time as a strongman, he tipped the scales at 335 pounds for his fight with Hall, meaning he had lost just over 100 pounds to get into top-notch fighting shape.
Björnsson is almost unrecognizable, having lost an incredible 50kg during his time as a strongman
Björnsson’s hard work paid off when he defeated Eddie Hall in their grudge match in March 2022
As he posed for the cameras, Björnsson looked muscular, with bulging abs that weren’t visible before.
Björnsson’s hard work paid off as he emerged victorious in what was described as the “most difficult boxing match in history.”
Thor showed significantly more agility than he had against McGregor seven years earlier, sending Hall to the canvas twice en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Björnsson hasn’t fought since, but remains undefeated in the squared circle for now.
Eighteen months after his defeat of Hall, Thor’s next move is unclear. He regularly posts pictures of himself working out on Instagram as he continues to keep himself in great shape.
At 34, it’s still possible he can give Strongman one final blow, or perhaps another boxing match will be interesting if he finds a worthy opponent.
Björnsson was also spotted with MMA contender Gordon Ryan late last year and the two had a sparring session together. Could we see Björnsson enter the cage at some point?
Thor has plenty of options, having proven himself to be the strongest man in the world, as well as starring in an award-winning TV series and defeating his biggest rival in boxing.
He has shown that he can achieve almost anything if he puts his mind to it, including a remarkable weight loss to complete an incredible body transformation over the last decade.