UFC welterweight star Themba Gorimbo defeated Pete Rodriguez via a first-round stoppage at the recently concluded UFC Fight Night 235. The future looks bright for him, to say the least, since he is also on the radar of one of the biggest stars in the world, Dwayne Johnson. The UFC star and the Hollywood A-lister made headlines last year after the latter gifted Gorimbo a house. This makes Gorimbo’s recent claim all the more surprising.

The UFC fighter said last year that he only had around $7 in his bank account before UFC Vegas 73. Johnson, just like him at one point, had just seven bucks to his name. So, he resonated with the fighter, publically shouted him out, and vowed to look after him. However, a year later, Gorimbo has said he does not want the Hollywood actor in his corner during a fight—find out why.

Why does Themba Gorimbo not want ‘The Rock’ to corner him?

The UFC welterweight is a massive fan of Johnson. In addition, he appreciated the time when Johnson wrote him a heartfelt message and asked him to be in touch. At the same time, he does not want the actor by his side during a fight, not because there is beef and animosity between them but because he would be too emotional to have him in his corner.

This may deviate him from his game plan and he does not want that to happen. So, he respectfully denies, ‘The Rock,’ being anywhere close to him in a fight but leaves the doors open for the future. He stated, “He is going to make me cry. When you want to fight you want a clear mind. I love DJ but in the corner? I am going to cry. I am an emotional human being. We’ll talk, we’ll see.”

Gorimbo’s feelings are understandable, especially when you consider all that ‘The Rock’ has done for him. Shortly after making friends with the UFC welterweight, Johnson gifted him a house, after learning that he lived on a couch in his gym during camps.

The two have grown close in a short span of time and the WWE star did not forget to relay a congratulatory message to Gorimbo after the UFC Vegas 85 win.

Johnson reacts to Gorimbo’s UFC Vegas 85 win

In the prelims of the Vegas event, Themba Gorimbo KO’d his opponent in just 32 seconds to extend his UFC run to 3-0. Soon after the fight, the WWE star connected over FaceTime with Gorimbo and congratulated the fighter on his impressive win, extending the same to his team, and wishing him the best for the future.

He said, “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 !!” 

Watch This Story: Watch: Inside the Home of Themba Gorimbo Which Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Bought for Him

Safe to say, there is a mutual admiration between the two. Moreover, Johnson appears to be quite a fan of the sport and is glad that fighters like Gorimbo have the opportunity to make it big.

Read more: “I’ll Probably Go Back…”: Weeks After Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Heartwarming Gesture, Themba Gorimbo Reveals How He Might End Up Sleeping on His Gym Couch Again