In a heart-warming video posted to The Rock’s YouTube channel, UFC fighter Themba Gorimbo is seen giving an interview in the octagon of his gym at MMA Masters. The Rock enters, telling the others present to be quiet as he stands behind Gorimbo and listens to him explain how nice it was to receive a tweet from his idol following his recent fight in May.
It’s not been an easy ride for the Zimbabwean to get to where he is now. While in Africa, Gorimbo messaged coach Daniel Valverde of MMA Masters, asking if he could train at the Florida gym as he was desperate to make it in the UFC. Valverde informed Gorimbo that there were no rooms available for the prospect to stay in the gym. Undeterred, Gorimbo offered to sleep in the gym after training, on the mats if necessary. Impressed by his determination, Valverde agreed, and ever since he came to Miami, Gorimbo has been living at MMA Masters.
The pair exchanged a warm embrace after Dwayne Johnson made his presence known to the UFC fighter. Gorimbo showed Johnson the sofa in the gym where he sleeps, which is remarkable considering he is fighting in the biggest league in Mixed Martial Arts. With a record of 11-4 (1-1 in UFC), Gorimbo is yet to establish himself as a contender in the welterweight division but has aspirations of becoming champion in 2024.
Gorimbo sold his fight-worn clothing following his last UFC bout against Takashi Sato and used the funds to help build a water pump in his hometown in Zimbabwe. His generosity in helping others has put him in a precarious position with his finances, as before his last fight, Gorimbo had just $7.49 in his bank account. Dwayne Johnson related to this story, as once upon a time, ‘The Rock’ also had the same amount to his name when living in Miami.
Johnson told the UFC fighter that he wanted him to meet one of his friends in Miami as it would be good for them to connect due to his pal being well-connected in the area. They hopped in Johnson’s car and arrived at a house, but the friend was nowhere to be seen. A confused Gorimbo saw pictures of his family on a table inside the living area of the house before ‘The Rock’ surprised him by handing him a set of keys and telling Gorimbo that this was now his home.
It was a heartfelt moment shared between a person who had a long road to get to the top in Johnson and somebody who was at the early stages in their quest to ‘make it.’ Gorimbo promised Johnson that he would be the champion one day and was overwhelmed at the generosity of the former WWE star turned Hollywood actor.
Before the men shared a toast to celebrate Gorimbo’s new abode, the UFC fighter revealed that he would use the money he was saving to buy a place of his own to fund another much-needed water pump in his hometown in Zimbabwe. This spoke volumes of his character – minutes after receiving a charitable donation himself, he thought of how he could use the gesture to help others in need with the disposable income he now has.
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