dyton mupawaenda
ZIMBABWEAN Themba Gorimbo only needed 32 seconds to get his first UFC finish.
Gorimbo faced Pete Rodriguez in a welterweight preliminary bout at Saturday’s UFC Vegas 85 event at the APEX.
As Rodriguez was throwing a left hand, Gorimbo countered with a super fast right hand over the top that echoed throughout the building and dropped his opponent. Gorimbo followed up with some ground-and-pound before the fight was waved off via TKO in the opening frame.
It was also revealed by the commentary team that Gorimbo envisioned a first-round knock-out, and he certainly delivered with his first finish in nearly three years.
“Nobody represented Zimbabwe better than me. I know us Zimbabweans we Rise. We don’t stay at the bottom,” said Gorimbo on his X account after the match. Following the victory, Gorimbo shouted out Dwayne Johnson, better known as “The Rock,” who has formed a relationship with the UFC welterweight, buying him a home in Florida and offering a sponsorship deal through Johnson’s ZOA Energy company. Gorimbo then predicted he would become welterweight champion by the end of the year.
Rodriguez is now 1-2 in the UFC with a pair of first-round stoppage losses, with his lone win coming via knock-out against Mike Jackson — MMA.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter