UFC: Themba Gorimbo charts journey from Zimbabwe diamond mines to octagon

Gorimbo had his first amateur fight in 2010 and turned professional in 2013.

His UFC debut in February 2023 did not go to plan, though, losing by submission against AJ Fletcher and the odds were stacked against him when he returned to the octagon to face Takashi Sato three months later.

“I woke up sick that day and had $87 (£69.50) in my bank account and I had to buy medicine,” Gorimbo said.

“I double-clicked by accident and it went to $7.49 (£5.98) in my bank account and I thought ‘damn, I need to go and fight hard tonight’.

“I had flu but I couldn’t pull out of the fight because I needed the money – I was broke.”

Despite battling illness, Gorimbo managed to secure a unanimous decision win and he took to social media to post an image of his bank account – a moment that would change the trajectory of his life.

WWE superstar and actor Dwayne Johnson, better known as The Rock, felt inspired to help.

Johnson is the founder of Seven Bucks Productions, a reference to the time he was released from the Canadian Football League in 1995 and had just $7 to his name.

He made a surprise visit to Gorimbo in August and gifted the Zimbabwean a house in Miami, Florida.

“I was going home to do a project where I was building a water well in my village,” Gorimbo said.

“He could have just sponsored me but to get me a house, where I’m staying right now, and to be here, I think there is a bigger picture and reason.”