‘He Made Me Cry’

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — “The Rock” was happy that his guy won.

Themba Gorimbo notched his first UFC stoppage at UFC Vegas 85 last night (Sat., Feb. 3, 2024), knocking out Pete Rodriguez in 36 seconds flat with a nasty right hand followed by ground-and-pound from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada (watch highlights).

For some reason, Gorimbo didn’t earn a “Performance of the Night” bonus. But, perhaps that’s because Gorimbo was surprised with a brand new Florida house by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson last year after his first UFC win because of their similar stories.

And ever since, “The Rock” has been his biggest supporter.

Before Gorimbo competed on Saturday, “The Rock” sent him a text message, and during his post-fight interview with the media, “The Answer” revealed that he was crying while warming up because of the text.

“He made me cry before this fight — DJ, wherever you are, that was not cool,” Gorimbo said. “But yeah, I love him. He sent me a message just before the fight when I was backstage, and I’m sure my coaches were thinking maybe I was just in the zone, but I was crying a little bit trying to hold my tears.”

Gorimbo then revealed what the text said.

“You were born for this moment, brother. Best of luck today. God has blessed you.”

After his win, Gorimbo posted a video on his Instagram of “The Rock” face-timing him.

The audio of the phone call is inaudible, but “The Rock” commented on the post.

“Incredible win my brother,” The Rock wrote. “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!!”

Gorimbo (12-4) is riding a two-fight win streak since losing his UFC debut and, according to him, will fight for the Welterweight title by the end of the year.

For complete UFC Vegas 85 results, coverage and highlights, click HERE.