UFC fighter Themba Gorimbo said he has completely cut ties with his family and no longer sees himself as being from Zimbabwe.
The comments came from an interview video shared on Saturday by CNN journalist Larry Madowo on X, where Gorimbo spoke openly about his personal choices and mindset.
Gorimbo, who made history as the first Zimbabwean to win a UFC fight, said he stopped communicating with his family on purpose so he could stay focused on his goals.
“I don’t talk to any of my family members anymore. None. I don’t,” he said.
When asked if that included everyone, he responded, “Not one of them. No. I have cut all my family members off my phone. Nobody. I blocked.”
He added that his actions were not driven by anger, saying he still cares about his family but prefers to love them from a distance.
“I love my family from far,” said the fighter who also rejected national identity, stating that he does not consider himself Zimbabwean.
“I don’t belong to Zimbabwe. I belong to the universe. I belong to every single person that wants to take inspiration from me,” he said.
Gorimbo went on to share his wishes about what should happen after his death, saying he does not want to be buried in his hometown.
“If I die,I don’t want to be buried in my village,burn my body and throw my dust in Kruger National Park. That’s my wish,” he said.
When asked if he now represents the dreams of young people in Zimbabwe or across Africa, Gorimbo dismissed the idea.
“I don’t belong to a certain country because I want to be free. When I’m free, I’m happy. And when I’m happy, I’m dangerous. That’s what’s important to me,” he said.
He also claimed that he received no support from Zimbabwe, including from his own family, while chasing his dream.
“Nobody in Zimbabwe supported me, including my own family. I had this dream by myself. I went after this by myself,” he said.
Themba Gorimbo recalled being ridiculed for choosing MMA, noting that many people believed it was a poor life choice that would lead nowhere.
“People laughed at me. They said I was doing something that leads to poverty. You know you’re from Africa—when you do something out of the norm, you know how it is,” he said.
He said this reaction reflected common attitudes toward unconventional careers, especially in African societies where formal education and office jobs are often seen as the only paths to success.
Although he still has friends in Zimbabwe who support him, Gorimbo made it clear that friendship is different from national identity.
“Of course, I have friends from Zimbabwe and I love them. We talk, and they support me. But when you say Zimbabwe, you’re talking about the whole country,” he said.
He also revealed that he would change his surname if given the chance, preferring to be known simply by his first name.
“Even if I could, I would change my surname. I can just be called Temba. That’s it,” he said.
Explaining why he distanced himself from his family, Gorimbo pointed to what he described as entitlement and cultural pressure, including financial expectations often placed on successful individuals.
“My family feels entitled. That’s how our mindsets in Africa are. They feel like my success is their success. They are entitled to their guy.
“Black tax is real in Africa. We cannot say no when people ask for money. We cannot say no to anything,” he said.
He said this pressure made it difficult to focus on his future.
“I love my family from far because if I keep talking to my family members, I will not achieve my goal,” he said.
According to him, cutting off family ties was a deliberate move to protect his ambitions.
He repeated his wish for cremation and reaffirming that his success was achieved without support from home.
“If I die, burn my body and throw my dust in Kruger National Park. That’s my wish,” he said.
Watch the video below:
𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: ‘𝐈 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐅𝐚𝐫’ — 𝐙𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐔𝐅𝐂 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐨 𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲, 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲
Credit: X | Larry Madowo
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