Themba Gorimbo Tells Ryan Clark How He Almost Died at Diamond Fields; “They Stripped Me N*ked, 4 German Shepherds Were Biting Me”

Themba Gorimbo has made history as the first Zimbabwean to secure a victory in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. However, his journey to this achievement came at a great cost, marked by moments of humiliation and the fear of losing his life.

In a compelling episode of The Pivot Podcast, Ryan Clark sat down with Gorimbo, who shared a powerful story of a life-altering experience that, while filled with challenges, taught him invaluable lessons along the way.

Themba Gorimbo shared that he grew up in a small Zimbabwean village, less than an hour from the diamond fields where a life-altering incident took place. They discovered those fields just as he was graduating high school, a time when his future seemed bright. He had excelled academically and was preparing to start his journey in higher education.

However, life took a harsh turn. Having lost both parents in his early teenage years, Gorimbo faced immense financial struggles. His cousin had promised to support him, but when that promise fell through, he was forced to enter the workforce early. With limited options, working in the diamond fields became his only choice.

At just 16, Gorimbo began digging for illegal diamonds under the cover of night, relying on corrupt policemen who guided him to lucrative mining spots. Most nights went smoothly, but one fateful night, everything changed. Senior officers began sniffing around the area, accompanied by vicious hunting dogs.

As chaos erupted, the corrupt policeman and most of the miners fled, leaving Gorimbo, his cousin, and a few others behind, trapped and unable to escape. The authorities stormed in, releasing their hounds on the remaining workers. Gorimbo’s cousin, in a panic, betrayed him by giving him up. The dogs attacked mercilessly, leaving both of them bloody and clinging to life, haunted by the fear they might not survive the night. Gorimbo recalled:

“Me and my cousin were left underneath and there were people we could hear getting beaten by the dogs. I was further out, my cousin was the one to be seen first. They caught him up and he snitched on me. We ended up getting beaten by the dogs together and almost died. I lost a lot of blood.”

But that night taught him some valuable lessons like never to be complacent and made him appreciative of life. But as if hardships in Zimbabwe weren’t enough, he had to endure more hardship when he came to America.

Gorimbo received financial support during hardship from the Rock

After enduring immense hardships in Zimbabwe, Themba Gorimbo managed to scrape together enough money to move to South Africa, eventually setting his sights on America. However, the journey left him nearly penniless. Despite making it to the UFC, his path was far from easy. After losing his first fight, Gorimbo found himself with just $7 to his name.

Determined to use his struggles as motivation, Gorimbo took a screenshot of his account balance, vowing to share it as inspiration if he won his next fight.

After his victory, Gorimbo kept his promise, posting the screenshot online. Around the same time, he completed a project to build borewells in his home village, giving back to his community. That post caught the attention of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who unexpectedly reached out to Gorimbo on Twitter.

Moved by Gorimbo’s story—especially since Johnson himself had just $7 to his name after leaving the NFL—The Rock visited him at his gym. In a heartwarming gesture, he surprised Gorimbo by buying him a house, ensuring that he would no longer have to worry about having a roof over his head. Of The Rock’s generosity, Gorimbo said,

“To be left with $7.49 in my bank account, for me to post about it, for it to reach ESPN, for it to reach Dwayne Johnson, for it to be just a coincidence that on the day I finished a project to help others, I get this from Dwayne johnson. For me to have this house I have in Miami, for him helping me go after my dreams, I think it’s God.”

Gorimbo’s journey shows that there is nothing you can’t achieve if you keep going at it. No matter how hard life is, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.