“My mind is too strong,” Gorimbo told UFC.com.
The one-sentence answer begged a follow-up, but Gorimbo stuck to his guns when asked to elaborate.
“You’ll see on Saturday,” he replied.
It’s clear Gorimbo is in a different headspace. Not an angry or determined one, just incredibly locked in and determined. Nearly a year since his last fight, a submission loss to Vicente Luque at UFC 310, Gorimbo shut down his social media accounts in a move that falls in line with how he is approaching things. The setback was his first since his debut, and he had racked up four wins in between the losses.
Originally, Gorimbo was scheduled to fight Nick Diaz until Diaz pulled out of the bout. In Luque, Gorimbo had a chance to break into the division’s rankings until “The Silent Assassin” turned in a vintage performance.
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Gorimbo, who dropped his old nickname of “The Answer” in lieu of “Mamba,” said his shift in approach didn’t spawn out of anything in particular. Eventually, he offered extended thoughts on his mindset before his November 1 fight.
“(I’m) focusing on me,” he said. “That’s why I say my mind is too strong. I don’t need external validations. I don’t need x, y, z. I am me, I’m focused on me. I’m on myself. Not here to be making friends. I’m here to be a champion. I’m not here to also rub people the wrong way. I’m just here to be myself. Before, I used to try and please everybody. Try to be friends with everybody. Now? Nah, I’m in a different tune in my mind. What you see is what you get. I don’t have to be like other people. I just have to be Themba, and that’s what’s important.”
Inherently, being a combat sports athlete requires selfishness. The long hours, commitment to a training schedule, and everything else that comes with prize fighting does not necessarily lend itself to an excess of time when in camps. That said, the Zimbabwean fighter has built a reputation for doing well unto others. Gorimbo’s efforts include building boreholes in his home village of Bikita as well as a solar-powered library.
But when it comes time for business and for his career, the momentary change of tune is more than understandable.
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“It’s growth,” the 34-year-old said. “In life, if you are not growing, you are not human, or, if you are not growing, you are going down. I chose to grow up. There is no catalyst. Circumstances, time, age, life, all those things. As you grow older, you start to realize that, ‘Hey, life is great even if I just live between my two ears,’ so I’m happy. Train hard.”
Although Wells is a step back in competition as far as his pursuit of the top-15 goes, he is a high-quality opponent. The 39-year-old tallied four wins in a row after joining the roster in June 2021. Back-to-back losses to Carlston Harris and Max Griffin halted his momentum, but the Philadelphia-based fighter remains a tough challenge for anyone at 170 pounds.
Gorimbo acknowledges as much, but he also is supremely confident in his own abilities and isn’t shy about saying so.
“F** it, man, I don’t care. I would say, like it is. I’m good everywhere,” Gorimbo said. “If you want to know what part of my game (will shine), tune in on Saturday, and you’ll see. That’s what makes this sport amazing. I can guarantee you it’s going to be a great, great finish.”
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Finishing Wells would make Gorimbo just the second person to do so after Harris submitted him in 2023. It would also be Gorimbo’s second finish in the Octagon after he knocked out Pete Rodriguez in February 2024.
All things considered, Gorimbo is hoping to put on a career-best performance in the UFC APEX, and he’s going to do it for nobody other than himself.
“I’m not here to show people, bro,” he said. “I’m not here for people… I don’t have to prove anything to myself. I know myself. On Saturday, I do my work. I don’t have to change anything.
“This is Themba. Welcome to Mamba Show.”
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