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There’s a particular kind of confidence that comes from surviving what Themba Gorimbo has survived. It’s not loud, yet it is definitive. When the 34-year-old UFC welterweight talks about his upcoming fight with Jeremiah Wells at UFC Fight Night 263 on November 1, he speaks in certainties – not predictions, not hopes. “My mind is strong, my body is healthy, everything is in line, everything is in tune,” Gorimbo tells News18 Sports in an exclusive interview ahead of the fight. “I believe I’m ready. I’m ready to go out there and do my thing.” That ‘thing’ is winning, and Gorimbo (14-5, 4-2 UFC) needs to do it convincingly. His December 2024 loss to Vicente Luque at UFC 310 – a first-round submission that ended in 52 seconds – snapped a four-fight winning streak and raised questions about his place in the crowded welterweight division. But Gorimbo isn’t rattled by the setback. Rebuilding After a 52-Second Fall “You fix yourself mentally and you come back,” he says simply. “If you’re honest with yourself and you know why you lost the last fight, you fix yourself and go out and do your job on November 1st.” Wells, 38, is himself coming off two consecutive losses after a four-match winning streak, but Gorimbo offers respect but little in the way of tactical breakdown. “He’s a good fighter,” Gorimbo says. “You have to give your opponent props because if you don’t, nobody will. But Saturday, we’ll see. I’ll put that good fighting to the test.” Pressed on what specific aspect of Wells’ game he plans to exploit, Gorimbo deflects entirely. “Like I said, he’s a good fighter. That means he’s good everywhere, right? But Saturday, I’ll put those areas to the test. There’s no one specific thing.” Gorimbo instead insists on what he brings to the table. “I’m not limited to any form of win. I’m going to 30-26, doctor stoppage, submit him, knock him out, decision – it doesn’t matter. I’m not limited to anything because I’m good everywhere.” It’s a bold statement, especially coming off a submission loss that exposed vulnerabilities in his grappling defense. But Gorimbo has learned not to dwell on what’s behind him. “Everybody’s a new challenge. Everybody changes and everybody evolves,” he explains. “I believe he’s not the same as his last fight, and I can tell you that I’m not the same as my last fight. My focus is on myself – just my own improvement mentally, physically, in all areas. That’s what matters.” His conclusion is blunt: “It’s not about what he can’t do or whatever. It’s about what I’m going to do. What can’t he do? That’s his own fault. That’s his own funeral. What I will do – that’s my job.” From the Diamond Mines to the Octagon Gorimbo’s life story has become inseparable from his public identity: orphaned by age 13, he survived Zimbabwe’s diamond mines, where violence was routine and survival uncertain. He fled to South Africa at 17, worked menial jobs, discovered MMA, and eventually fought his way to the UFC. After his first UFC win in May 2023, he revealed he had just $7 in his bank account and auctioned his fight gear to fund a water well in Zimbabwe. That gesture caught the attention of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who gifted Gorimbo a house in Miami. Gorimbo’s story is something that has inspired many, but he bristles at the suggestion that it defines him – or that he represents Zimbabwe alone. “I represent myself,” he corrects when asked about carrying his country’s flag. “I don’t want to limit myself to where I come from. I come from the world. There are people in your country that may look at my story and get inspired. There are people in Africa – not just Zimbabwe – that can look at my story and get inspired.” “I’m the son of the universe. My story is the average life of an African child, an African family. It just happens a lot. Whatever happens in my life happens a lot in African families. It’s part of life, man.” When asked what advice he’d give to a young person in rural Zimbabwe – or anywhere – facing similar struggles, Gorimbo’s answer is direct: “You choose what you want. Don’t listen to the naysayers. Go after it. Accomplish the goals and celebrate in your own way, in whatever form or shape that you want.” Faith Over Timelines Gorimbo wants to be the UFC welterweight champion, but time might not be on his side. Yet, unlike many fighters who set rigid timelines, Gorimbo has learned to surrender control. “I don’t have a timeline. God has that,” he says. “If I had a timeline, I wanted to be a champion two years ago, but that didn’t happen, right? So, God’s timing is the best time. I cannot put a time on when things happen.” “God knows where our life will end, and my goal is to wake up every day, firstly give my best in my training sessions, and then everything will come – everything will fall into place. I believe I will be a champion. It’s just a matter of time between now and then.” The championship, he insists, is the end goal. “But that’s the end goal. The main goal is this Saturday – that’s Jeremiah Wells, getting him out of there.” But for all his definite thoughts, the concept of success for Gorimbo is a bit abstract… or maybe a bit too simple, but true. “I don’t know what you mean by ‘how is it that I measure my success,'” he admits, “but if I can try to understand what you’re saying, I would say I’ve already succeeded beyond limits. I’ve done everything that seemed impossible, and I’m going to continue doing things that seem impossible.” “Success is breathing, to be honest. I think that’s the easiest way to say it. For me, breathing, being alive, being healthy, having my family, my kids smiling every day—that’s success. And my wife,” he says. When Mamba Comes Out Outside the cage, Gorimbo is ‘the guy that is happy’. But when fight night comes, something shifts. He calls it becoming ‘Mamba’. “I only switch on the day of the fight – not even during the day,” he explains. “When I step into the cage, step into [UFC] Apex that’s when the Mamba comes out. Outside there, at the house, before I leave the house, whatever – I’m Themba. But once I step into the Apex, that’s Mamba … and I do what mambas do: kill.” On Saturday night in Las Vegas, Jeremiah Wells will be the one standing across from Mamba when the switch flips. Watch UFC Fight Night – Garcia vs Onama on 2nd November 2025 from 4:30 AM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD (Tamil & Telugu).
