*UFC fighter Themba Gorimbo has ignited intense discussion following remarks about his personal life and identity.
In an interview with CNN, the Zimbabwe-born athlete said he has intentionally cut off communication with his family and no longer considers himself tied to any one country. Gorimbo said the decision was made to protect his focus.
“I don’t talk to any of my family members anymore. None. I don’t,” he said, later adding, “Not one of them. No. I have cut all my family members off my phone. Nobody. I blocked.” Despite this, he emphasized, “I love my family from afar.”
The fighter, the first Zimbabwean to earn a win in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, also rejected national identity, saying, “I don’t belong to Zimbabwe. I belong to the universe. I belong to every single person that wants to take inspiration from me.”
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Gorimbo noted that he received no backing from home during his rise. “Nobody in Zimbabwe supported me, including my own family. I had this dream by myself. I went after this by myself,” he said. He recalled being ridiculed for pursuing mixed martial arts, adding, “People laughed at me. They said I was doing something that leads to poverty.”
While he maintains friendships in Zimbabwe, Gorimbo said family expectations became overwhelming. “My family feels entitled. That’s how our mindsets in Africa are,” he said, referencing financial pressure: “Black tax is real in Africa. We cannot say no when people ask for money. We cannot say no to anything.”
He also shared his burial wishes, stating, “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.”
Gorimbo explained that he loves his family “from far,” adding, “because if I keep talking to my family members, I will not achieve my goal.”
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