Zimbabwean UFC fighter Themba Gorimbo, who has had a successful year including a win over Pete Rodriguez and support from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, believes he is destined for greater things and aims to become the UFC welterweight champion in 2024.
Themba Gorimbo is a man on a mission. No doubt about it.
Last Saturday, he had the best performance of his career. Knocked out Pete Rodriguez in just 32 seconds at UFC Vegas 85. And before that? He caught the eye of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson with a win over Takashi Sato.
The past 12 months? Life-changing for Gorimbo. He’s convinced it’s all proof of his destiny for even greater things.
He’s asked himself, “Why me?” But his answer? “This is not me, this is God.” That’s what Gorimbo told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. He believes God wouldn’t set him up for failure. That’s why he was so confident in his last fight.
His training? Never been like this in his entire career. He’s not even sure if he can top it, work harder than this.
And then there’s his story. Not many like it. Someone uplifting you the way “The Rock” did for him. Just being in America, for him, is a blessing. He’s from Bikita, a rural area in Zimbabwe. Maybe a few from his district in America. But in his village, he’s the only one.
Having “The Rock” support him? It’s big. It’s not him, it’s not his doing. He reminds himself every day, “This is not me, this is God.”
Johnson’s support goes a long way. The WWE and Hollywood star bought Gorimbo a house. He’s in his corner, even gave him advice when he struggled with fame and backlash.
Gorimbo’s human, he’s emotional. When people say things, he questions himself. It was bothering him, sometimes he’d cry alone. It was a tough situation.
Luckily, he talked to Johnson. He called him, told him he foresaw all these things. Told him things are going to be like this from now on. Easier said than done, but he’s been there too.
Gorimbo believes his story ends with a world championship. He’s 2-1 in UFC, not in the rankings yet. Many don’t believe it’s possible for him. But he believes it will happen, and sooner than anyone could imagine.
“With self belief, hard work, and the right people, the sky is the limit,” Gorimbo said. He tells people he’s going to become the UFC welterweight champion in 2024. It doesn’t look like it, and everyone criticizes. But his story and his life is not normal, even to himself. He doesn’t think he’ll have a normal path to the title. But before you know it, he’ll be there, taking the title. And the world will be like, “Oh, wow, that guy was real.”