The Mountain From 'Game of Thrones' Lost an Incredible Amount of Weight
"The Mountain That Rides" has shrunk down to a modest hill, if that. Athlete and actor Hafthor Bjornsson is best known for playing Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane on HBO's Game of Thrones, and at that time he weighed around 450 pounds at six feet, nine inches tall. In recent months, Bjornsson revealed on social media that he has lost about 130 pounds, slimming down while remaining remarkably strong.
Bjornsson maintained his massive bulk to compete in the sport of strongman, winning the title of World's Strongest Man once before retiring in 2020. After that, Bjornsson experimented with boxing while also seeking a more balanced form of general fitness. Followers were floored by the results – side-by-side photos of Bjornsson at the peak of his strongman performance and earlier this year illustrate the incredible progress he has made.
"Full Thor vs. Half Thor," he joked. "Peak strength vs. Peak fitness." Bjornsson didn't just lose the weight to get in shape – or even to sell fitness products and services. Last year, Bjornsson competed in a boxing match against his fellow retired Strongman competitor Eddie Hall. The two had competed against each other at the highest level of strength sports, and both decided to pursue combat sports after their retirement. They faced off on March 19, 2022 in Dubai, with Bjornsson winning by unanimous decision.
The fight practically promoted itself thanks to Bjornsson and Hall's history and their background in another sensational sport. They had competed against each other on the world stage many times, and Hall had won World's Strongest Man in 2017 – the year before Bjornsson finally took the title. Hall also held the previous world record for heaviest deadlift at 1,102.3 pounds, which Bjornsson broke in May of 2020 by Deadlifting 1,104.5 pounds – one kilogram heavier. Analysts praised Bjornsson for keeping a calm demeanor during the fight and sticking to the basics of boxing. It didn't hurt that he is seven inches taller than Hall and was still 23 pounds heavier than him at the time as well.
Since then, Bjornsson has maintained his lighter body weight even if he hasn't quite stayed in fighting trim at all times. The athlete injured himself earlier this year when he attempted to set a personal record on the bench press, tearing his pectoral muscle in a competition at his own gym. He has been documenting his treatment and recovery on YouTube and Instagram since then. It's still not clear what may be next for him after that.