"Incredible win my brother" - Dwayne Johnson reacts to Themba Gorimbo's 32-second knockout win at UFC Vegas 85
Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, has given his take on Themba Gorimbo's incredible victory at UFC Vegas 85 on Feb. 3, 2024. Gorimbo defeated Pete Rodriguez via TKO just 32 seconds into round one of their welterweight bout.
With the dominant performance, the Zimbabwe-born fighter took his UFC record to 2-1, with an overall professional MMA record of 12-4. He made his UFC debut in February 2023 and secured his maiden UFC win in May 2023.
Following that, Gorimbo revealed that he had just $7 in his bank account before his first UFC win. WWE legend and Hollywood megastar Dwayne Johnson subsequently reached out to the UFC fighter.
Johnson has often spoken about his past financial struggles, highlighting how he had just $7 to his name at a time when he suffered major setbacks in his professional football career. He eventually ascended to tremendous heights of success as a WWE superstar and an actor/producer in Hollywood.
On that note, the 'Seven Bucks Productions' founder indicated that he felt a profound connection with Themba Gorimbo's $7 story. After the UFC fight in May 2023 and the unraveling of Gorimbo's story, The Rock promised to help him.
For his part, Gorimbo accorded the majority of his fight purse to purchasing a bush pump for his village rather than spending it on himself. Connecting with their similar economic hardships and moved by his altruism, The Rock gifted Gorimbo a fully-furnished house in Miami. The latter later thanked him for the same.
The 33-year-old MMA athlete has now put forth an Instagram post featuring a video call between himself and The Rock. Besides, he attached a heartwarming statement to the post, which read as follows:
"Don’t make me cry next time before a fight my brother. @therock. Thank you brother. Pay it forward."
Taking to the comments section of the Instagram post, Johnson congratulated Gorimbo on his thunderous knockout win at UFC Vegas 85. Wishing him continued success, the pop culture icon wrote:
"Incredible win my brother. We’re all so proud of you. Keep climbing that mountain and inspiring everyone along the way. Congrats to you, your coaches and TEAM. Love U !!"
Check out a screenshot of Dwayne Johnson's Instagram comment below:
What's next for Dwayne Johnson and Themba Gorimbo?
For the past several years, Dwayne Johnson has amassed several accolades in the entertainment realm, besides also making sporadic WWE appearances. Presently, The Rock is expected to return to the professional wrestling ring for a match at WrestleMania 40 in April 2024, where he'll face his cousin Roman Reigns.
Meanwhile, unranked UFC welterweight Themba Gorimbo outlined his plans at the UFC Vegas 85 post-fight press conference. The MMA stalwart implied that he's willing to go to any lengths to earn a UFC welterweight title shot soon, including taking short-notice fights.
Gorimbo's next opponent and comeback date are unclear. Regardless, 'The Answer' is seemingly focused and has vowed to take an unconventional and fast route to UFC gold.