Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s fandom of the UFC and mixed martial arts is well known, but it seems even the movie icon is missing combat sports as much as the rest of us.
Due to the coronavirus, Johnson is self-isolating like most of the rest of us, meaning he’s missing out on the entertainment recently postponed UFC 248 would have provided.
That being said, he’s still expecting dynamite when the sporting world re-opens and fighters — such as Francis Ngannou, who invited Johnson to train with him — get to put on the show we’ve come to expect.
“Francis Ngannou, let me tell you something, brother – you ain’t ready for me,” Johnson said, speaking on his social media. “I respect and love this guy so much. He is one of the top heavyweights in MMA, and in the world, and he is a dominant beast of a man. I can’t wait to see him fight again.”
“I’ve been following your career, Francis, so thank you for saying that, saying that I was your inspiration,” he said. “I wish you nothing but the best. I hear really cool things about you, and I look forward to seeing you and seeing you fight again.”
Thank you @TheRock for your kind words. You give us all real motivation. Let’s train together and have some @Teremana tequila after. 🥃 pic.twitter.com/gRqfEbI51V
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) April 13, 2020
UFC 249 was scrapped late last week after ESPN bosses asked UFC president Dana White to refrain from hosting the card.
“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.
“But soon enough, there’s a silver lining in this. 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. 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.”
