Bruce Fromong was robbed by Simpson in 2007.
The man O.J. Simpson robbed—in a crime that put the disgraced NFL star behind bars for eight years—says he wanted to shake his hand at Thursday's parole hearing.
Bruce Fromong gave testimony that helped secure Simpson's release.
Read: Where Are O.J. Simpsons Children Today?
When Simpson learned he was going to be freed, his pointed to Fromong and simply said: "Thank you!"
On the way out, Simpson looked at him and made a phone gesture with his hand, which Fromong took as a sign that he should call him, he told Inside Edition. "And his sister asked me for my phone number," he added.
Simpson also told him: "You're holding up good too, man! All these years!"
Fromong told Inside Edition's Jim Moret, "It was good to see him, Jim. I have to say I wanted to shake his hand."
But he was not allowed to, Fromong said.
Simpson's long-time friend, Tom Scotto, was also at the hearing, where he sat beside Simpson's sister, Shirley Baker. Simpson was in Las Vegas to be best man at Scotto's wedding when Simpson and others carried out the robbery targeting Fromong, who was selling Simpson sports memorabilia.
On Thursday, Scotto said he spent two hours celebrating with Simpson after the panel's decision.
"What's the first thing O.J. Simpson says to you?" Moret asked.
"He said, 'I'm going home! I'm going golfing!'"
Read: A Look Back at President Trump's Friendship With O.J. Simpson
Simpson's release could come as soon as Oct. 1. He's now been moved out of the general prison population to a cell by himself, Inside Edition has learned.
"They actually locked down his pod," Scotto said. "So he couldn't say goodbye."
Before his release, Simpson will be moved again to another Nevada prison facility closer to an airport.
When he gets out, he's expected to live in Florida. He earns $300,000 a year from his NFL pension and has a reported $4 million in the bank.
But parole comes with a litany of restrictions, and Fromong believes "there will be people who will try to push his buttons."
"Do you worry about his temper getting him into trouble in the future?" Moret asked.
"It could," Fromong said. "We'll have to wait and see where the O.J. journey goes."
Watch: Victim of O.J. Simpson Robbery Calls it the Scariest Night of His Life
