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Former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) champion Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who abandoned his pro wrestling post to pursue a successful career in Tinseltown (DOOM notwithstanding), has a close relationship with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White.
Along with a handful of fighters (like this guy).
That’s why Johnson was on social media earlier this week to send moral support to the combatants who were benched as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The video above also includes a special shout-out to top heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou.
“To all the fighters in the UFC, MMA, and around the world – specifically the UFC because I’ve been really following them closely, Dana White and I are very good buddies – I feel for you guys not being able to fight,” Johnson said on social media (via MMA Fighting). “But soon enough, there’s a silver lining in this.”
Hopefully there’s a shingle lining as well, so that longtime middleweight contender Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza can have a roof to put over his head. The aging Brazilian, like many combat sports athletes, needs his “show” purse to keep the lights on.
“Maybe it’s your training, maybe it’s your mental capacity that you could expand right now as you guys aren’t allowed in the cage as you’ve been shut down, but there is some silver lining in all of this and I hope you guys find it,” Johnson continued. “Because when you come back, the velocity in which you guys come back, I expect to see some dynamite fights when you come back in the cage and I can’t wait. The moment I can be there, I’m going to be there cage side.”
White expects to have UFC back in action on “Fight Island” in May.