Themba Gorimbo faced a heartbreaking defeat at UFC 310, where his four-fight win streak came to an end. Unfortunately, he did not receive the support he expected from some of his own family members.
Gorimbo bravely stepped up to face Vicente Luque on short notice, only to be swiftly defeated by a vicious anaconda choke in less than a minute. This defeat was a stark reminder of the difference in experience levels between the two fighters.
In a candid interview on The Pivot, Gorimbo shared that some of his cousins were actually celebrating his loss. He received a video from them showing their joy at his defeat, which left him deeply hurt.
“Some of my cousins were celebrating my loss,” Gorimbo said. “They were all celebrating my loss, and they sent me a video of them where we were in a place 15 years ago, this small circle in Danone … and these cousins of mine were celebrating my loss.
“Do you know how much that eats you?”
Despite his setback in the UFC, Gorimbo had shown his resilience by winning his next four fights, including a notable victory over Niko Price.
The fighter expressed his shock at his family’s reaction to his defeat, believing it stemmed from unrealistic expectations placed on him. He clarified that he is not a millionaire and cannot fulfill every financial request made of him.
“All I try to do is [do] better for everybody,” Gorimbo explained. “I might not directly help you, but maybe I want to build a well for the community, then one person gets angry … someone will message me and say, ‘Will you give me [$5,000]?’
“People think that [because] I’m in the UFC, I’m a millionaire. I’m not. Maybe one day I will be, but it’s the reality I’m not and I cannot afford to do that. Imagine if you have 20 people coming you and saying the same stuff.”