The Rock's 'buddy' starts well, but ends up defeated at UFC Perth.

The Rock presented Themba Gorimbo with a house (Photo: Instagram/ThembaGorimbo)

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Themba Gorimbo It started well, but ended up being overtaken by Jonathan Micallef by split decision on Saturday morning (2) in the second preliminary fight of UFC PerthIn a fight valid for the welterweight category (up to 77,1kg), the defeat marked Mamba's third consecutive loss, putting him under pressure in the world's largest MMA organization. In contrast, the Australian delighted the local crowd and achieved his third victory in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

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Gorimbo became known outside the MMA scene after being gifted a fully furnished house by none other than actor Dwayne Johnson, popularly known as The Rock. The Hollywood and WWE star gave the fighter a fully furnished house as a gift in May 2023. The reason for the gift was that, even with a signed contract with the UFC, the athlete lived at the MMA Masters gym in Florida. The meeting was documented on the movie star's social media.

Micallef's resilience made the difference in his victory at UFC Perth.

A close one in the 2nd bout 👀

Jonathan Micallef walks away with the split-decision victory!

[ #UFCPerth | LIVE on @ParamountMore ] pic.twitter.com/fnig9PoJw3

- UFC (@ufc) May 2, 2026

Micallef dominated the center of the octagon and tried to close the distance from the start of the fight, attacking Gorimbo with good kicks to the midsection. Adopting a more defensive stance, Gorimbo went for a clinch against the cage to try and frustrate his opponent's plans. Exchanging blows, both fighters found success with kicks to the midsection and calves. Mamba also landed some good right straights to the Australian's face, who in turn seemed stronger during the isometric hold against the cage. Micallef secured a takedown and landed some good strikes from top position in the final seconds of the first round.

Gorimbo landed a long combination of punches early in the middle round, then trapped his opponent in a clinch and briefly took him to the ground. Micallef managed to regain his balance, but ended up on the bottom while struggling to secure a takedown. After defending against a triangle choke attempt, Mamba transitioned to half-guard and dealt with his opponent's attempts to get back to his feet. Themba managed to take his opponent's back, losing the position in the final ten seconds of the round.

Micallef landed a good kick to the midsection early in the third round, while Gorimbo worked some good straight punches in the center of the octagon before attempting another takedown. The Australian returned to his feet against the cage and, after breaking free, began attacking with jabs and good counter-punches with his left hand. Realizing his opponent had slowed down, he pressed forward with good strikes against the cage, clearly demonstrating his advantage in the final round of the fight.

At the end of the 15-minute competition, two judges scored it 29 to 28 in favor of Jonathan Micallef, while the other saw the same score in favor of Gorimbo.

First fight ends with lightning-fast submission.

A KNEEBAR TO KICK OFF THE CARD! 🤯

Kody Steele use your submission skills to perfection in the first round!

[ #UFCPerth | LIVE on @ParamountMore ] pic.twitter.com/M7FIrZX8QN

- UFC (@ufc) May 2, 2026

In the first fight of the night, Kody Steele He poured cold water on the home team's beer and won. Dom Mar Fan by submission in the first round, in a fight valid for the lightweight category (up to 70,3 kg). With the result, the American recovered from the setback suffered against Rong Zhu and secured his first victory in the world's largest MMA organization. On the other hand, the Australian suffered his first defeat in over two years.

Steele made his presence felt immediately by taking Fan down early in the fight with a precise double leg takedown. Having not suffered any strikes on his feet, the American passed the guard and attempted a kimura, then went for a katagatame. The Australian secured the sweep, and the following minutes were filled with quick transitions on the ground. With great skill, Steele locked in a perfect heel hook, forcing Fan to tap out at three minutes and 56 seconds of the fight.

In the interview with Michael Bisping Inside the octagon, the fighter said he was very happy to achieve his first positive result in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and also asked the fans to boo. Vince Morales, your personal friend who will face Colby Thicknesse also on the preliminary card.