UFC welterweight Themba Gorimbo might be a tough SOB inside the octagon, but a mother’s death has ways to break any human. Even if it is someone else’s. Gorimbo escaped abject poverty to make it to the UFC but ahead of his next fight against Ramiz Brahimaj, he is going to be fighting for more than just a win.
Themba Gorimbo recently took part in the media day press conferences ahead of UFC Fight Night 241. During the interview, a reporter asked him how he would ensure getting the win against Brahimaj. An emotional Gorimbo broke down and said,
“All I know is I am going to win in spectacular fashion. For my coach whose mother just died like two hours ago. He has been here with me for eight weeks. He tells me his mother is sick with cancer, he never told me it was that bad. I just say to him, ‘okay man after this fight we go back to South Africa together. His mother just died 2 hours ago man. I am going to win for him.”
Gorimbo has been in the UFC since 2023. During that time he has captivated fans thanks to his incredible life story.
Gorimbo became an orphan at the age of 13 and a blood diamond smuggler at 16. But that is a hard life for a child. So he escaped Zimbabwe and reached South Africa where he discovered Mixed Martial Arts and decided to pursue that as a career.
A lot of people put a lot of faith and effort into ensuring Gorimbo got the opportunities he did. And he has ever been grateful. Case in point, his coach from South Africa still remains a key part of his entourage.
Gorimbo’s story is so touching that it inspired Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson himself, who took it upon himself to make life a little easier for the UFC fighter.
Themba Gorimbo received a life-changing gift from ‘The Rock’
Winning his first UFC fight meant more to Gorimbo than securing a win. It meant he could have a roof over his head and food to eat. In the press conference following his win over Takashi Sato, Gorimbo stated that he had just $7 left in his account. Needless to say, this shocked a lot of fans.
So, in an act of kindness, Dwayne Johnson took care of a few things.
‘The Rock’ not only surprised him with a visit but also bought him a house. Johnson said that Gorimbo’s story reminded him of his own when he was down to his last $7 before making it big.