As a fighter, one always thrives when they have a strong support system at their back. The majority of the fighters fight for their friends, family, or nation. But UFC welterweight Themba Gorimbo‘s perspective is quite different from it. And he has particularly pointed out one particular group for which he wants to do nothing.
Hailing from Zimbabwe, Gorimbo lost his parents in his early teenage years. And after that, he became a blood diamond smuggler before fleeing to South Africa at the age of 17. A few years later, Gorimbo started his MMA training and has now reached the leading MMA promotion, UFC. Now, despite his roots being attached to Zimbabwe, Gorimbo shockingly shares no love for the nation in which he was born.
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UFC prospect Themba Gorimbo states his displeasure
“Nobody in Zimbabwe supported me, including my own family didn’t support me. I had this dream by myself. I went after this by myself. People laughed at me when I was doing this. They say, which means like you’re doing something that, you know, leads you to poverty,” Gorimbo told during an interview with CNN’s Larry Madowo.
Gorimbo further pointed out and clarified about his friendships in Zimbabwe: “You know you’re from Africa when you do something out of the norm, you know how it is. People call you. It’s education or you work, and you provide. Of course, I have friends from Zimbabwe, and I love them, my friends, I love them. We talk, and those people support me, my friends. But when you say Zimbabwe, then you’re meaning the whole country now.”
Back in 2024, Gorimbo faced obstacles to carry his country’s flag as Zimbabwe’s SRC denied his request. He then had to launch a public campaign to put pressure on Zimbabwe’s SRC, which eventually forced them to give him permission to represent the country.
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Amid that discouragement, he received, once, Gorimbo has shone through it. After consistent performances in the regional circuits, ‘The Answer’ bagged a UFC contract in 2023. Although his recent form has been a bit shaky after two back-to-back losses, Gorimbo had a good four-fight winning streak after his debut bout.
Gorimbo’s journey has been tough. It was filled with a lot of day-to-day struggles in his personal life, without any sufficient money in his bank account. Amid this struggling phase, he kept going and got signed by UFC. Following Gorimbo’s arrival in the leading MMA promotion, many got emotionally connected to him after he revealed his financial struggles. One such personality was a WWE legend, who related to Gorimbo’s story to the extent that he even got a big surprise for the UFC prospect.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson helped Themba Gorimbo
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is someone who often attends UFC events. To that extent, he even presented the “BMF” belt for a fight between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz at UFC 244 in 2019. When Johnson learned about Themba Gorimbo’s financial struggles before joining the UFC, he was moved. And in return, he gave a surprise gift to the welterweight fighter.
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“Welcome home @TheAnswerMMA. You and your family enjoy your new house brother. Lights are on. Bills are paid. Keep your “My Reason” list close, keep taking care of your people and I’m honored to play a very, very small role in your $7 bucks journey. $7 bucks. I’ve been there too. Got your back brother. Let’s get to work on that dream of becoming @ufc champion one day
,” Johnson wrote on X.
For Gorimbo, it was indeed a special moment, and he also seemed quite emotional after Johnson’s gesture. These are some of the things that keep the 35-year-old motivated to do better. Although he has defeats against Vicente Luque and Jeremiah Wells, Gorimbo would surely look to make a turnaround. On that note, who do you think ‘The Answer’ should fight next? Let us know in the comments below!
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The post UFC Prospect Who Was Gifted a House by “The Rock” Reveals Bitter Fallout With Home Nation appeared first on EssentiallySports.
