Zimbabwe mixed martial arts star, Themba Gorimbo on Saturday night defeated Ramiz Brahimaj by a unanimous decision in an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match in Las Vegas, United States.
Gorimbo recorded 30-27 wins in all three sets, a performance he admitted was not his best.
“Thanks to my coach for winning this but to the crowd that is watching, I’m sorry that wasn’t the performance I expected.
“I wanted to win this fight in a spectacular fashion, but I thank God for the victory,” he said during post-match interview.
Gorimbo had a challenging week getting into this match as his coach’s mother passed away back in South Africa ahead of the bout.
The welterweight fighter received criticism on social media for breaking down in tears during a pre- match press conference in which he declared he was going to dedicate the fight against Ramiz Brahimaj to his coach’s mother.
Responding to the criticism after the match, emotional Gorimbo said,”To the guys tuning online criticising me, let me just say, I’m emotional because my wrestling coach lost his mother.
“He has been here with me for eight weeks; I thought his mother was going to be fine.
“I robbed him of the last moments with his mother, that is why I felt so guilty and cried the way I cried.
“I robbed him off his mother because he was supposed to go back to South Africa on the 22nd of April, but I insisted we go together after the fight, not knowing our mother would pass away.
“So, when you see me cry with all your jadi jadi (criticism) in the comment section, look yourself in the mirror (because) death is going to visit you one day.”
After losing his UFC debut in February, Gorimbo has managed to attain three consecutive wins, Saturday night’s victory being the latest.
UFC is the largest mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation in the world. The UFC showcases the best international fighters using a variety of martial arts styles and disciplines.
-NewZimbabwe
