UFC’s longstanding position as one of the most exciting sport in the world has attracted celebrities like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson to join hand. He has become a part of the TKO group as a board member alongside Ari Emmanuel and others. Johnson’s love for UFC and combat sport is well known, which has often prompted a link up with Dana White’s UFC.
Now, with the duo working together under the same banner, White took advantage of The Rock’s celebrity status to plug the Power Slap league. White was tagged into an Instagram story movie clip from Red One featuring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans. The short bit showcased a Power Slap like fight sequence, which prompted Dana White to promote his league via Instagram story by tagging Johnson.
Johnson’s admiration for UFC is so much that the actor decided to give UFC fighter Themba Gorimbo a priceless gift. The Zimbabwean’s inspiring journey to UFC moved the actor so much that he bought a house for the fighter. Gorimbo shared a tweet of $7 in his bank, an amount that Johnson is all too familiar with. This wasn’t the only interaction The Rock has had with UFC fighters over the years.
The 52-year-old star has taken it upon himself to re-enact the story of UFC legend, Mark Kerr. The feature biopic film The Smashing Machine will release in 2025. Moreover, it features the stars like Emily Blunt and MMA stalwart Bas Rutten as well. Incidentally, The Rock’s partnership extends beyond just entertainment, as he has also brought about a unique partnership with the UFC.
In 2022, the MMA giant announced the unique partnership with Under Armour’s Project Rock to bring together unique co-branded apparels. UFC fighters with this link up will receive top of the line Project Rock BSR 2. The move was governed towards recognizing all the hard work that goes into being a fighter.
Dwyane Johnson and UFC announce unique footwear apparel partnership (Image via Open Source)This footwear was first thrust into the sport with Ciryl Gane vs. Tai Tuivasa Fight Night card in Paris. Despite being top of the line, certain section of the fighters have voiced their displeasure with the footwear. This goes without saying, not all the MMA fighters share the same opinion, as the partnership continues to exist even today.
The Rock first dabbled with the UFC with Brock Lesnar’s foray into this world. Six years ago, he became a mainstay for a short while when Jorge Masvida fought for the BMF strap. These little trips into the combat sports world have certainly earned Rock a place in the MMA community. Now as board member of TKO holdings, the WWE star continues to add value to the promotion.
