Themba Gorimbo was delighted to be able to display his slick striking in his victory against Pete Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 85.
‘The Answer’ needed just 32 seconds to beat Rodriguez, landing a flush overhand right before following it up with barrage of strikes which saw referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the contest.
With seven of his wins coming by way of submission, many had painted Gorimbo as an athlete whose grappling prowess was far superior to his striking but the 33-year-old was very happy to be able to show his elite striking ability against a very credible opponent.
Addressing the media post fight, he expressed his joy at being able to get the finish in the manner in which he did. He said:
“I saw this coming. A lot of people said Pete was a good boxer, which is very true and is a good striker, which is very true but I told the guys on media day 'Hey guys, will it not be a surprise when I knock him out? Because I know I hit very hard. Whether it is my jab or my right hand.' People think I am just a grappler, with a little bit of wrestling but I know who I am and I am glad that the fight didn't go that long because they still think that they can get me."
The knockout is the quickest on Gorimbo's record by some distance but he wasn't shocked that me managed to get the job done in rapid time.
"Of course (I knew I could finish him that quick), ask my teammate behind there. I said this is probably going to be in the first two shots that I throw I will knock him out and that is exactly what happened. I work too hard to be playing around in this cage. The last fight I was in, I was long in the cage, only because I was sick. I had flu in that fight, I was sick, huffing and puffing in the cage but I had to fight because I didn’t have money. This time I pray to God to be healthy for the full camp and healthy on the day of the fight and get the victory and show the world that I am not just a grappler, I can knock you out. But I am not going to fall in love with knock outs, I am going to do what I have to do to win in every fight."
Gorimbo shot to the forefront of many fans' minds following a viral video in which Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson gifted him a house, so he could live better whilst pursuing his dreams. The Zimbabwean has always been big on giving back to his nation since finding success in the UFC and this will continue, no matter how successful he goes on to be.
"I’m from Zimbabwe. When I am full, my country is not full so I am probably going to be doing some things in my country, to stay hungry. Now, I am going to Zimbabwe to build a library in my village, powered with solar power, so the villagers in my village have the opportunity to study at night. Growing up, I passed my high school but growing up I could have done better if I could go back home and study after school because you walk 10km to school, 10km back, that by the time I get back home, it’s dark.
“I was thinking about this when I was running a few days ago, ‘I can actually do that. Go there, build a big building, put solar power and the kids can go at night and study there”
'The Answer' has monumental goals both in and out of the cage moving into 2024, as he continues to work his way into a packed Welterweight division whilst simultaneously looking to make his homeland a better place.
