Themba Gorimbo, the trailblazing athlete who made history as the first Zimbabwean to win a fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has ignited a firestorm of debate across the continent. In a deeply personal and polarizing revelation, the man once hailed as a beacon of Zimbabwean resilience has announced a total severance of ties with both his biological family and his home country. During a candid sit-down with CNN’s Larry Madowo, Gorimbo pulled back the curtain on the mental toll of his rise to fame.
He revealed that he has systematically blocked his relatives and cut off all communication channels. While the move may seem harsh to outsiders, Gorimbo frames it as an act of self-preservation. For him, the emotional weight of family expectations acted as a “distraction” that threatened his laser-like focus on becoming a UFC world champion.Betrayal, Mockery, and the “Black Tax”Gorimbo’s decision to disown his roots stems from a place of deep-seated hurt.
He recounted the early days of his career when his dreams of professional fighting were met with ridicule rather than support in Zimbabwe. According to the fighter, the very people now clamoring to celebrate his success are the ones who mocked his ambitions when he was penniless and struggling. This resentment highlights a broader cultural tension often referred to as “black tax”—the financial and emotional burden placed on successful individuals to support extended networks.
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Gorimbo has made it clear he is no longer a participant in this cycle. The Final Request: A Return to the Wild The most haunting moment of the interview came when Gorimbo discussed his mortality. Eschewing the traditional African custom of being returned to one’s ancestral village for burial, Gorimbo’s final wish is one of total detachment.
He requested that, upon his death, his body be cremated and his ashes scattered across the Kruger National Park. This stance is a massive departure from the image of the humble fighter who famously received a house from Hollywood superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson after revealing he had only $7 in his bank account. While that moment was seen as a heartwarming success story, it appears the pressure of being a “national symbol” has pushed Gorimbo to seek a life of isolation.
As he continues his climb in the UFC rankings, he does so without a flag or a family, driven solely by a “dangerous” edge that he believes can only exist in total solitude. “I want my dust thrown at Kruger… freedom and happiness are more important to me than national identity.”
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