Themba ‘The Answer’ Gorimbo is one of Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson’s favorite UFC fighters. In his recent fight, the 33-year-old had the chance to break into the top 15 welterweight rankings with a win. However, Vicente Luque had other plans. It took less than a minute for Luque to take Gorimbo down and choke him out. The defeat was a painful setback for the rising welterweight prospect.
In a recent interview with The Pivot, Themba Gorimbo reflected on his fight and shared the aftermath of what happened after his loss against Vicente Luque. ‘The Answer’ revealed that several of his cousins sent him mocking texts after his quick submission defeat. While not everyone in his family felt this way, it still had a significant impact on him.
When I go online, like one of my cousins, I can’t speak his name but he messaged me that day. After I lost this last fight, some of my cousins were celebrating my loss, they were all celebrating my loss.
Themba Gorimbo via The Pivot
Gorimbo stepped in as a last-minute replacement in his recent fight at UFC 310. He took the place of Nick Diaz, who has recently been involved in several controversial activities. Despite being relatively new to the UFC, Gorimbo didn’t hesitate to face off against veteran fighter Luque.
Themba Gorimbo says his Cousins were celebrating his last loss in the UFC
“Do you know how much that eats me?”@TheAnswerMMA
🎥 @thepivot pic.twitter.com/VbWshy33Wr
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) January 1, 2025
Unfortunately, the defeat was a brutal one for the 33-year-old fighter. On top of that, the criticism from his family and fellow countrymen has also taken a toll on him. Interestingly, Gorimbo is somewhat more popular in the UFC community due to the support he received from Hollywood actor and former WWE superstar Dwayne Johnson.
Keeping that in mind, the Zimbabwean fighter has aimed to elevate his status within the promotion. However, that has not materialized. In addition to facing criticism from his family, a fellow UFC fighter also appeared to mock Gorimbo after news about his cousins emerged.
Dricus Du Plessis takes a dig at Themba Gorimbo
Themba Gorimbo made his UFC debut in February 2023. Although he experienced a tough submission loss in his first fight, Gorimbo bounced back strongly. Interestingly, despite being born in Zimbabwe, he trains in South Africa and proudly represents Africa. Notably, the UFC middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis, also hails from South Africa.
Themba Gorimba’s last UFC outing (Image via Kevin Iole)Du Plessis and Gorimbo shared a strong camaraderie and had trained together in the past. However, surprisingly, after the Zimbabwean-born fighter’s recent defeat, the UFC middleweight champion took a jab at Gorimbo.
Yeah because anybody that knows you would.
Dricus Du Plessis via Instagram comments
Never change DDP
Via @Home_of_Fight pic.twitter.com/n9UhaWJ1xk
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) January 1, 2025
Du Plessis referenced Gorimbo’s recent complaint about his friends and family celebrating his defeat against Vicente Luque. However, DDP’s actions are not new, as he has a history of making comments about several fellow competitors. As of now, Gorimbo has not responded to Du Plessis’s recent remarks about him.
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