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Despite Taking a $60 Million Hit From XFL, Emotional Dwayne Johnson to Help Homeless African-American UFC Fighter: “Got Your Back Brother, I’ll Help”

Published 06/11/2023, 3:52 AM EDT

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Over the years, the UFC became the world’s biggest MMA promotion. The MMA promotion changed the lives of struggling fighters. By fighting in the UFC, fighters could achieve financial security. UFC superstar Conor McGregor became a millionaire after earning a fortune from the sport. When a fighter enters the promotion, he not earns a big name if he is a good fighter but also a good amount of money. At the moment, Themba Gorimbo came forward to let the world know about the financial struggle he went through before signing a contract with the UFC.

Gorimbo had his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 219, but unfortunately, he lost the bout. Later, he got a chance to fight against Takashi Sato at UFC Fight Night 223. He won the bout, and it changed his life.

‘The Answer’ mentioned how he had just $7.49 before fighting at UFC Vegas 73. After coming across the post, Dwayne Johnson got emotional as he too had gone through a similar situation in the past. Now, ‘The Rock’ has lent a helping hand to Gorimbo. Currently, ‘The Rock’ is dealing with a $60 million loss that happened in XFL. However, despite the loss, ‘The Rock’ wants to help the homeless African fighter.

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Dwayne Johnson lends a helping hand to Themba Gorimbo

Dwayne Johnson came across a post from ESPN MMA in which Gorimbo’s tweet appeared. It said “This was the money left I had before the fight and now God granted me a good win and it’s going to be a great one going forward. If it wasn’t for the free @ufc meals started to receive after I signed the fight I would probably be singing a different story. Grateful.

When Johnson came across the post, he went back to his old days, when he was in a similar situation. He tweeted, “This is f’n crazy to see and brings back many emotions and memories. $7.49 in this fighter’s bank account.  I once had $7 bucks too. I’ve been there on that grind. Got your back, brother. I’ll help. You got this. I’ll be in touch.

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The words of the African fighter reminded Johnson of his humble beginnings. Now, he wishes to help Gorimbo fight further in the UFC. Similar to Johnson, UFC star Colby Covington also offered his help for ‘The Answer.’ Through Instagram, Gorimbo thanked Covington for having his back in difficult times. Gorimbo underwent a difficult journey to get to where he is now.

The journey of ‘The Answer’

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Gorimbo began his fighting career in 2011 with Imagine FC 3.0. His UFC debut was against A.J. Fletcher, where he lost the bout via submission in the second round. Many believed that his UFC career was over after his first loss at the promotion. Later, he fought against Sato and earned a decision victory against him.

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This helped the UFC welterweight earn some money to live. His incredible story made ‘The Rock’ very emotional. Johnson initially had little money in his pocket but later made a big name from wrestling. He is now regarded as a great wrestler who has contributed largely to the growth of WWE.

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Written by:

Priyanka

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Priyanka is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. Her passion for the UFC is evident in her writing, and she has been a devoted fan of the sport for many years. Priyanka is particularly fascinated by the sportsmanship displayed by fighters, and she is captivated by their ability to calculate each move when an opponent is all set to attack.
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Edited by:

Amal Joyce