Zimbabwean UFC fighter Themba Gorimbo is back on the tatami, and this time he says faith, discipline and the right people around him are driving the latest turn in his rollercoaster MMA journey.
By Advent Shoko
The Bikita-born fighter had earlier announced his retirement from mixed martial arts after a bruising run of defeats that left him questioning whether his dream of becoming a UFC champion was still realistic. But after first hinting at a return earlier this month, Gorimbo has now delivered his clearest sign yet that the comeback is on.
On Monday, the 35-year-old shared an emotional statement revealing that former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier played a major role in convincing him not to walk away from the sport.
“Faith and God. Only need good hearted people in my life now. People who push me to be better,” Gorimbo wrote.
He said Cormier was the first person to call him after he publicly announced his retirement and immediately challenged the decision.
“Daniel Cormier was the first person to call me when I said I was retired and tell me WHAT ARE YOU DOING. Remove that post. He is my big brother,” Gorimbo said.
According to Gorimbo, the American MMA legend not only urged him to return but also expressed belief that the Zimbabwean still has the tools to make a serious impact in the UFC.
“Daniel Cormier became a UFC champion at age 38 years old and he told me THEMBA you are very disciplined and you don’t do crazy stuff like other MMA fighters. I am sure I can train you and make you a champion. Just need to fix few things and you will be a problem in UFC.”
For Gorimbo, that vote of confidence appears to have landed at exactly the right time.
His retirement announcement in May came after three straight losses in the UFC, a run that included defeats to Vicente Luque, Jeremiah Wells and Jonathan Micallef. At the time, Gorimbo admitted he had come to terms with the possibility that his championship ambitions may never materialise at the highest level of the sport.
But the story changed quickly.
Earlier this month, Gorimbo revealed that he was considering reversing his retirement and rebuilding himself for a possible move to the UFC middleweight division. That alone signalled that the fighter known for turning adversity into fuel was not done yet. Monday’s post has now added more weight to that belief.
“When I was leaving for the airport he told me GORIMBO don’t stay out too long better come back. Today I am back and inspired to go ahead. Now we just work with FAITH,” he wrote.
The message also reflected a fighter trying to reset mentally, spiritually and professionally after the darkest stretch of his UFC career. Gorimbo said he has removed “all the bad” from his life and is now focused on prayer, humility and discipline.
“I am a born again. God will lead.”
Whether the comeback eventually leads to a UFC return, and whether that return comes at welterweight or middleweight, remains unclear for now. But one thing is becoming increasingly obvious: Gorimbo’s retirement may have lasted only long enough to become the beginning of another comeback story.
For a fighter who has built his name on surviving hardship, defying odds and refusing to stay down, Themba Gorimbo’s next chapter is no longer about walking away.
It is about coming back.
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