Themba Gorimbo did not get support from a slew of family members after his four-fight win streak came to an end in devastating fashion at UFC 310.
Gorimbo took a massive leap in competition to face perennial welterweight contender Vicente Luque in December as a replacement fighter. Luque showed the vast difference in experience levels as he put Gorimbo to sleep in less than a minute with a vicious anaconda choke.
Speaking on The Pivot, Gorimbo revealed that he was sent videos of family members actually enjoying the aftermath of the loss.
“Some of my cousins were celebrating my loss,” Gorimbo said. “They were all celebrating my loss, and they sent me a video of them where we were in a place 15 years ago, this small circle in Danone ... and these cousins of mine were celebrating my loss.
“Do you know how much that eats you?”
After getting submitted in his UFC debut, Gorimbo won his next four fights, including a lopsided decision win against Niko Price in October.
The 33-year-old is completely stunned by his family’s reaction to the lopsided loss to Luque, but believes it’s because they asked him for things that he couldn’t possibly provide.
“All I try to do is [do] better for everybody,” Gorimbo explained. “I might not directly help you, but maybe I want to build a well for the community, then one person gets angry ... someone will message me and say, ‘Will you give me [$5,000]?’
“People think that [because] I’m in the UFC, I’m a millionaire. I’m not. Maybe one day I will be, but it’s the reality I’m not and I cannot afford to do that. Imagine if you have 20 people coming you and saying the same stuff.”
