The road to success is not easy, and Themba Gorimbo knows that very well. The Zimbabwean fighter won the early hours of last Saturday to Sunday, at the UFC Vegas 73veteran Takashi Sato by unanimous decision. But before adding his first victory in the companyGorimbo debuted with defeat, and assured that he only had “7 dollars in your account” bank. His environment turned its back on him, and the former interim champion Colby Covington helped him through this rough patch, bringing him food when he was broke. “People say what they say and they want to avoid it, but this guy is a great man,” he declared after the match.
Themba Gorimbo32 years old and born in Zimbabwe, came to the United States to shine in the UFC, but his debut did not go as he had dreamed. He lost via submission to AJ Fletcher in February, and with that loss came his personal decline. Many people close to him turned their backs on him. “Everyone left after the loss, when I got home. They all looked at me like I was a guy who smelled like shit. People ignored me. The people I helped ignored me. Lots of people, even people who called themselves friends… Even my own brother. In the end, I love my brother because he is my blood, but I have to be honest. It hurts me a lot because I did so much for people, so that they would do to me what they did to me. I hope the Lord forgives them,” said Gorimbo.
He also realized that he did not have the right team at his side. “After the fight, my coaches went to a party. He was alone in that room. crying alone”, he commented. He decided to change coaches, and went to Miami to train at MMA Masters. But Gorimbo was ruined. “Before the fight, he had $7 in the account,” he acknowledged. The day to day was increasingly difficult, until he found a helping hand.
Colby Covington, former interim UFC welterweight champion, was by his side through this downturn. “he’s a great guy. Sometimes he brought me food to the gym. People say what he says and want to avoid it and want to avoid it, but this guy is a great man. You have to know him to know him, just like me. At the end of the day, everything is a business”, explained the Zimbabwean fighter.
Gorimbo complied after hard preparation and defeated veteran Takashi Sato by unanimous decision in one of the fights last Saturday at UFC Vegas 73. Now, more financially recovered, the fighter Do you intend to move to Miami? to continue fighting in the company in the best conditions.