Themba Gorimbo (born 23 November 1991) is a Zimbabwean professional mixed martial artist nicknamed “The Mamba” by his fans. He is best known for competing in the UFC Welterweight division and for becoming the first Zimbabwean to win a UFC bout in 2023.
Biography: Themba Gorimbo 
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Real Name: Themba Gorimbo |
Known As: The Mamba/ The Answer |
Place of Birth: Bikita, Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe |
Date of Birth: 23 January 1991 (Age- 35) |
Occupation: Professional Mixed Martial Artist |
Champion: EFC Welterweight Champion in South Africa |
Years Active: 2013 to present |
Marital Status: Married |
Children: 2 |
Nationality: Zimbabwean |
Early Life and Hardship
Themba Gorimbo was born in Bikita, Masvingo province, Zimbabwe on 23 January 1991. Growing up, Themba recalled that his life was normal and good. His father worked in a hospital as the family’s sole breadwinner. However, his life turned around when he lost both his parents at young age; losing first his mother when he was nine and his father at 13 years old.
“Life went south from there and we had to move to the rural areas.” he said in an interview with The Guardian
Themba doesn’t consider his past as a negative impact all together, but a piece of a puzzle that eventually made him who he is today. When he was 16 years old, Themba dropped out of school and started doing illegal mining at Marange diamonds fields. He remembered many people dying from gun shots fired by the army and police, and from police dog bites. For this reason, he considers himself fortunate for surviving such difficult times.
“I was very lucky in the Marange diamond fields because you are chased by dogs and horses, by the police and the army. I’ve seen people die in front of me at a very young age. I almost got killed by the German shepherds and I’ve got scars all over my body.”
Despite near death experiences, Themba returned to the mine after his wounds had healed. He managed to extract a 12 carats diamond and escape with it. After selling it, he got enough money and fled to South Africa to seek better life. He was just 17 years old. Unfortunately he got arrested upon arrival to South Africa and spend a week in jail. After deportation, he returned to South Africa the second time and this time he reached Johannesburg where he lived as a homeless young man, begging at traffic lights.
However, Themba Gorimbo managed to reach Capetown where he worked as a labourer. This is where his interest for martial arts began after watching a mixed martial artist movie titled Never Back Down. While working as a gardener, he saw a poster for a gym and joined it marking his turning point in life.
Mixed Martial Arts Career
When Themba was working as a gardener and simultaneously as a security guard in Cape Town, he joined a gym and started training as a fighter in 2013. After three months of training, Themba had his first fight and won with a knock out after 7 seconds of fighting. He then joined South Africa’s EFC (Extreme Fighting Championship) before he won EFC Welterweight Championship in 2019. In 2021, he landed fight opportunities with UAE Warriors in Abu Dhabi.
Becoming a fighter in UAE Warriors was a breakthrough moment for Themba who aspired to join UFC which dominates professional MMA. Unfortunately, in October 2021, Themba lost his first fight against Handesson Ferreira in Abu Dhabi after dislocating his shoulder. Even though he won his next bout, he lost confidence that he would he be invited to join the UFC contender series. However, in 2022 he was shocked to receive his first UFC contract.
Themba Gorimbo’s debut fight in UFC occurred on February 18, 2023, when he faced A.J Fletcher in welterweight bout. He was disappointed when he lost in the second round via a guillotine choke. That same year, Themba received a house in Miami from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson after posting online that he is left with $7 dollars in his account.
As of May 2026, Gorimbo holds a professional MMA record of 14 wins and 7 losses. Recently, he suffered a split-decision defeat against Jonathan Micallef at a UFC event in Perth.
On 21 May 2026 Themba announced his retirement from Mixed Marshall Arts after admitting he no longer sees a path toward achieving his dream of becoming a UFC champion. However he gave insights of his future stating he will come back as a MMA promoter, mentorship or coach.
Philanthropy and Controversies
Gorimbo has earned praise for his generosity and community work. At one point, he sold his fight gear to help fund a water pump for his home village in Zimbabwe.
However, in 2026, he publicly revealed that he had cut ties with several relatives in Zimbabwe. According to Gorimbo, some family members celebrated his defeats and only became interested in him after his success.
He also stated that he no longer wished to be associated with Zimbabwe because of the emotional pain linked to those experiences.
Personal Life
Gorimbo has been married for more than nine years and is a father of two daughters. His family currently lives in Miami in the house gifted by Dwayne Johnson in 2023.
He often describes his wife as the “anchor” of his career and regularly credits her for supporting him throughout his journey from poverty to the UFC. She also relocated from South Africa to the United States with their children to support his MMA career.
Although Gorimbo remains devoted to his wife and children, he announced in 2026 that he had ended communication with members of his extended family in Zimbabwe because of what he described as a lack of support during his struggles and entitlement after his success.
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