American Martins "The Dragon" Licis was crowned the world's newest strongest man after defeating reigning champion and Game of Thrones actor Hafthor "The Mountain" Julius Bjornsson.
Licis' win came as a surprise to some fans, with the American weighing in a whole 50kg lessthan his 200kg opponent showcased on the hit TV series.
But the 1.88m champion stormed to the crown on Monday (NZT) with stone lifts impressive enough to see his name etched into the history books.
It was the first time 29-year-old Licis' took out the World Strongest Man competition after four attempts at the title.
Licis, known as The Dragon because of the fire he says he has inside, said he had dreamt of winning the competition since when he was a child growing up in Latvia - where he used to lift stones as practice.
Natalie Eva Marie and Game of Thrones actor Hafthor Julius Bjornsson. Photo / Getty
Meanwhile, Bjornsson finished in third place despite having dealt with a serious foot injury in the first day of competition.
Bjornsson tore his plantar fascia but managed a return on day two, stunning the competition with his deadlift and overhead press which was enough to send him straight into the final.
Bjornsson told the New York Post prior to the tournament that he was eyeing a back-to-back title now that he no longer had on-screen commitments.
"You have to be willing to work 365 days a year and be absolutely obsessed with what you want to achieve and if you're willing to go that far then you're able to be the World's Strongest Man," Bjornsson said.
