It’s not every day that your story inspires a superstar like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. But it did one day in 2023 for one UFC star. Thereafter began a friendship between the two that continues to this day. However, despite the promise, Zimbabwean UFC star Themba Gorimbo has now decided to walk away from the sport, citing a career that fell short of the championship ambitions he had set for himself.

“Thank you to UFC and everyone. I dared to be someone and something and failed,” Gorimbo wrote on Instagram. “Gave all I can in the sport and I am walking away from the sport. My dream was to be a UFC champion, and if I cannot be that, I am going to walk away from the sport. It’s not easy, but I’ve tried.

“Maybe I will make a comeback as a coach or manager someday, but for now, the focus will be my family. Thank you to everyone I’ve met on the journey and everyone who has helped me along the journey. I am officially retired from MMA as an athlete.”

Gorimbo began fighting professionally in 2013 and competed across several regional African promotions. His biggest breakthrough came during his stint with Extreme Fighting Championship, where he fought 10 times and amassed an impressive 8-2 record while becoming the promotion’s welterweight champion. After that, the Masvingo native earned his opportunity in the UFC, a move that completely changed the trajectory of his professional MMA career.

‘Mamba’s inaugural UFC bout turned into a sour memory after AJ Fletcher defeated him at UFC Fight Night in 2023. But after that loss, Gorimbo went on an impressive run, beating four consecutive opponents, including Ramiz Brahimaj and Nico Price. All things moved perfectly for the Zimbabwean until the impetus shifted completely in a different and painful direction. 

Themba Gorimbo suffered three straight losses in the last two years, starting with a brutal defeat against Vicente Luque at UFC 310. Many expected him to beat the Brazilian veteran, who was well past his prime.

But the difference in experience ultimately proved massive. Some still expected a comeback, yet his following losses against Jeremiah Wells and Jonathan Micallef ultimately dealt the final blow to Gorimbo’s career, pushing him further down the welterweight rankings. As such, at 35, never having reached the contender status, the thought of retirement became inevitable.

However, not too long ago, his story was one of inspiration and overcoming odds. So much so that it inspired Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson to gift him a house in Miami in July 2023.

Dwayne Johnson‘s connection to the Zimbabwean MMA veteran came through a shared detail. Themba Gorimbo’s story of having just $7 in his bank account at his lowest point mirrored Johnson’s own well-documented story of starting out with seven dollars and a dream. He was sleeping on a gym couch to save money to build a water well in his village at the time.

This stirred something personal in Johnson and inspired him to reach out to Gorimbo. The Hollywood star personally met and presented Gorimbo with a fully furnished house in Miami, allowing him to move out of the MMA Masters gym. At the time, he was only starting out in the UFC, so even the smallest thing went a long way. That act of kindness bloomed into the friendship that continues to this day.

Regardless, it brings to a close the career of an inspiring UFC fighter. Gorimbo currently holds a respectable 14-7 professional record. Despite retiring, the Zimbabwean has not ruled out staying involved in MMA in another role. Themba Gorimbo is not the only welterweight veteran to step away recently.

Welterweight veteran Gilbert Burns retires from the UFC

When it comes to true veterans, Gilbert Burns has cemented his name among the greats. He’s one of the few fighters who gave Khamzat Chimaev a run for his money (before Strickland) at UFC 273 and even wobbled Kamaru Usman during their championship clash at UFC 258. However, after spending over a decade in Dana White’s promotion, the Brazilian hung up his gloves following a defeat against Mike Malott at UFC Winnipeg, which marked his fifth straight defeat.

After retiring from the sport, Burns also expressed his desire to keep contributing to the game. But this time, he wants to make a comeback in the form of a manager, helping aspiring MMA talents who dream of performing in the UFC.

“I think now another cycle of my life will begin where I will also give my all,” Burns said on his YouTube channel. “I will dedicate myself. I already have a plan to be a manager now. This plan was tucked away in a drawer. Now it’s time to take it out of the drawer.

“I think it’s possible to help many athletes get to the UFC, and get to the UFC with good work. I think there are many managers who just put the guy there and give the minimum amount of help, but it doesn’t really help a guy to have a professional career as it should be.”

Both Gorimbo and Burns leave as fighters who gave the sport everything they had. Their next contributions, whether as coaches, managers, or mentors, may prove just as meaningful for the generation coming up behind them.