UFC Fight Night 241's Themba Gorimbo breaks down in tears after coach's mother dies: 'I'm going to win for him'
LAS VEGAS – Themba Gorimbo was overcome with emotion during the UFC Fight Night 241 media day.
Gorimbo (12-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) meets Ramiz Brahimaj (10-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) in a welterweight bout on Saturday’s main card (ESPN+) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Just a few hours before Wednesday’s media day, Gorimbo received the news that his coach’s mother died. He couldn’t hold back the tears when addressing his coach, and plans on dedicating this win for him.
“I’m going to win in spectacular fashion for my coach whose mother just died like two hours ago,” Gorimbo said. “He’s been here with me for eight weeks. He tells me his mother is sick with cancer. He never told me it was that bad. I just say to him, ‘OK, after the fight, we go back to South Africa together.’
“I didn’t have a plan to go there, but I was going to go with him to see his mother. I’m going to win for him. It is what it is. … It’s not (weight) on my shoulders. I’ve been wanting to do that anyway because he sacrificed the past eight weeks of his life. Obviously, I pay him to be here, helping me get better with my wrestling and stuff, but I cannot bring his mother back.”
After dropping his UFC debut in February 2023, Gorimbo scored back-to-back wins over Takashi Sato, and a knockout of Pete Rodriguez in February.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.