UFC’s Themba Gorimbo disclosed that some of his family members celebrated his recent UFC defeat, highlighting the complex personal challenges that lie beneath his remarkable journey from poverty to the octagon.
The day after his loss, Gorimbo received a video showing his cousins celebrating his defeat in Danon, South Africa—the same place where he had first arrived as a seventeen-year-old immigrant fifteen years ago. “Some of my cousins were celebrating my loss. They sent me a video of them in a place where we were 15 years ago, this small circle in Danon,” Gorimbo shared on Pivot podcast, his voice heavy with emotion.
The celebration of his defeat has hit particularly hard given his ongoing efforts to help his community, including funding the construction of a water well in his hometown. Gorimbo explained that such reactions often stem from misconceptions about his financial status as a UFC star, with people assuming he’s wealthy and feeling entitled to his support. “People think that I’m in the UFC, I’m a millionaire. I’m not, maybe one day I will be,” he said.
The family dynamics run even deeper, as Gorimbo revealed that after his father’s death, certain family members had attempted to deny his inheritance by claiming he wasn’t truly part of the family. These recent events have contributed to a profound struggle with depression, leaving him grappling with intense feelings of isolation. “In the past few days I didn’t want to leave the house. I wake up, I don’t want to wake up,” Gorimbo confessed. “My wife goes through a lot because when I lose like this, she gets to see me on my lowest.”
The emotional toll of the loss seems particularly acute given Gorimbo’s extraordinary journey to reach the UFC. Growing up in rural Zimbabwe, he lost his parents at a young age and turned to illegal diamond mining as a teenager in 2007-2008. Working alongside thousands of others in dangerous conditions, he experienced numerous close calls, including a horrific attack by police dogs that nearly claimed his life.
“It was like four German Shepherds biting me and it was not very nice. I had a lot of blood loss,” Gorimbo recounted of the incident that left him stripped naked and severely injured. Despite passing out from blood loss and waking up the following morning, he returned to the diamond fields within a week. His most valuable find was a 12-carat diamond that sold for around $6,000, though the discovery put his life at risk from others trying to steal it.
The perilous nature of diamond mining eventually led Gorimbo to flee Zimbabwe, crossing illegally into South Africa at age 17. It was there that he discovered mixed martial arts at 19 after watching the movie “Never Back Down,” setting him on the path to the UFC.
His determination was evident in his recent bout, where he competed despite being sick with the flu and having just $7.49 in his bank account. On the morning of, he woke up at 3 AM with a completely blocked nose, hiding his condition from his coaches and relying on a teammate to buy him breakfast.
In a remarkable turn of events, Gorimbo’s story caught the attention of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who reached out to help him with housing in Miami. The timing seemed divine to Gorimbo, as it coincided with the completion of his well project in Zimbabwe. “I think this was all God man, because what are the chances,” Gorimbo reflected. “What are the chances of him to be in a position of being having $7 in his life too… don’t you think that this story was pre-written by God?”
Despite the current challenges and family tensions, Gorimbo remains focused on his UFC career. Known more as a competitor than just a martial artist, he continues to pursue his championship aspirations, drawing on the same resilience that has carried him through countless adversities. “(MMA) is the only sport that I know I’m good at and that I can win it and become whatever I want,” he affirmed, demonstrating the unwavering spirit that has defined his extraordinary journey.
