UFC’s Themba Gorimbo has shared the dangerous world he entered as a teenage diamond miner in Zimbabwe—a decision that nearly cost him his life. Growing up in rural Bikita, approximately 30-40 minutes from newly discovered diamond fields, Gorimbo made the fateful choice to abandon his education despite good grades and venture into illegal mining at just 16 years old.
The year was 2007 when diamond deposits were discovered near his home, drawing thousands of desperate miners to the area. Working alongside his cousin in treacherous underground conditions, Gorimbo quickly learned the corrupt nature of the trade, forming necessary alliances with local police to access the most promising mining areas.
One night, these dangerous arrangements dramatically unraveled. When police bosses made an unexpected appearance, their police contact abandoned them, leaving Gorimbo and his cousin exposed underground. In a moment of betrayal that would leave lasting scars, his cousin revealed Gorimbo’s hiding place to the authorities, leading to a brutal attack that nearly claimed his life.
“There were people we could hear getting beaten by the dogs upstairs,” Gorimbo recalled on Pivot podcast. “It was like four German Shepherds biting me, and you know it was not very nice. I had a lot of blood loss.” The police dogs attacked him mercilessly after he was stripped naked, leaving him severely wounded. Though he managed to escape, the severity of his injuries caused him to lose consciousness from blood loss, and he didn’t wake until the following morning.
Perhaps most remarkably, despite this traumatic experience, Gorimbo returned to the diamond fields within a week, driven by the potential rewards of the dangerous trade. His most significant find came in the form of a 12-carat diamond that sold for approximately $6,000. However, this discovery brought its own perils, forcing him to flee from others intent on stealing his valuable find.
The harsh reality of the illegal mining world extended beyond dog attacks. Gorimbo witnessed fellow miners swallowing diamonds to hide them from their groups, sometimes with fatal consequences when syndicate members refused to wait for the diamonds to pass naturally. The constant threat hung over the fields like a shadow.
The final chapter of Gorimbo’s mining career came during a massive government crackdown. The operation deployed army helicopters and soldiers who fired upon the miners, forcing them to run for kilometers without knowing whether they faced live ammunition. This intense period convinced the young Gorimbo to leave Zimbabwe altogether, crossing illegally into South Africa at age 17.
It was in South Africa where Gorimbo’s life would take an unexpected turn. At 19, after watching the movie “Never Back Down,” he discovered mixed martial arts, setting him on a path that would eventually lead to the UFC. However, the challenges of his new career would prove substantial.
Today, despite achieving his dream of competing in the UFC, Gorimbo hasn’t forgotten his roots. He recently completed a project building a well in his hometown in Zimbabwe, inspired by his own experience with bazia, an illness contracted from contaminated water in his youth. His story caught the attention of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who reached out to help him with housing in Miami—a dramatic turn of events for someone who once risked his life in Zimbabwe’s diamond fields.
