Themba Gorimbo
Skill profile
138 MMA anchors Striking, Wrestling, Grappling · his tags and claims adjust Accuracy, Striking D, Durability, TD Defense, Control.
Built on 83 minutes of tracked cage time across 8 statted fights — every axis is held down until there is more tape, so read this as a sketch rather than a verdict.
Career rates — the raw numbers behind the chart
Insider info
vs Jonathan Micallef clear UFC Fight Night Della Maddalena vs Prates Full Card Preview & Predictions · April 26, 2026
calls the matchup cut and dry; names a specific winning mechanism (ground control)
Themba Gorimbo is a good, physically gifted striker with real range, a long wingspan, counter skills, and power, even though he isn't doing anything technically exceptional beyond his natural tools. His grappling is decent on top with reasonable takedowns, ground and pound, and top pressure, but he has essentially nothing to offer off his back. That bottom-game hole is the crux of the matchup.
vs Jeremiah Wells lean UFC Fight Night Garcia vs Onama Analysis, Breakdown and Predictions · October 28, 2025 · 1 read since
He calls Wells "a very live underdog" and takes him, but immediately adds he "doesn't feel the best about it" because Gorimbo could finish him -- a hedge on the win itself, not just the method.
A good striker with good counters and strong range management -- a tough night for a purely technical striker, per the analyst -- plus solid kicks and real power. His grappling is lopsided: fine on top, with decent takedowns, good ground and pound and decent top control, but by the analyst's own description he has nothing to offer once he is put on his back. As of 2025-10-28.
vs Vicente Luque lean UFC 310 Full Card Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown · December 3, 2024 · 2 reads since
He points to Luque showing real reluctance to engage even lesser strikers like RDA -- a read built from seg 5, independent of the excluded health matter.
Good striker with solid counters, range control, and real power -- he flattened a durable, tough opponent recently. Decent grappler with takedowns and good top control once there, lately leaning on position control over finishing; not good off his back, though that has rarely been tested. Stepped in on short notice for this fight.
vs Niko Price lean UFC Fight Night Royval vs Taira Full Card Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown (UFC Vegas 98) · October 9, 2024 · 3 reads since
He names Gorimbo the winner and cites his youth and upside, but closes by reaffirming Price is dangerous and could catch something, a live counter-threat flagged right at the end rather than a clean, unhedged commitment.
Younger, up-and-coming favorite who counter-strikes while still coming forward, controls range well and carries real power with solid kicks. Offensively capable on the ground with decent takedowns and ground-and-pound, but struggles defensively off his back. The analyst notes a possible tactical shift toward position-over-submission in his last fight versus his more submission-hungry history, but is not yet sure it will stick.
vs Ramiz Brahimaj clear UFC Fight Night Barboza vs Murphy Full Card Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown (UFC Vegas 92) · May 15, 2024 · 4 reads since
Stated plainly: ultimately favors Gorimbo, built on a real mechanism -- Gorimbo's range/power/size edge on the feet against Brahimaj's need to close distance, plus Brahimaj's long layoff and likely ring rust. No hedge on the winner; the acknowledged live chance of a first-round Brahimaj submission is a named alternative path, not a doubt about the pick.
A good striker with real forward pressure, good counters and very good kicks who uses his range well even while advancing -- height and reach advantages back that up. His grappling is good too, built mostly around attacking submissions from top rather than grinding position, but he is explicitly in real danger if the fight ends up with him on his own back, which is exactly where Brahimaj's game wants to take it.
vs Pete Rodriguez clear UFC Fight Night Dolidze vs Imavov Full Card Analysis, Breakdown, & Prediction (UFC Vegas 85) · January 26, 2024 · 5 reads since
He states he expects Gorimbo to win by a wide margin and commits to him as his pick, separately adding betting caution aimed at the Rodriguez-underdog angle rather than a hedge on who wins.
With a far bigger sample size than his opponent, Gorimbo is a good striker with good forward pressure, solid kicks and a counter-heavy approach that the analyst expects to work well given his big height and reach advantage. His grappling is decent -- decent takedowns and pretty good ground and pound once on top -- though he tends to struggle off his own back.
vs Takashi Sato lean UFC Fight Night Dern vs Hill Predictions & Full Card Breakdown (UFC Vegas 73) · May 16, 2023 · 6 reads since
leaning Gorimbo for now on height/reach; says live-betting beats an early pick
An offense-first fighter with little defense besides his counter. Good striker with power, kicks and volume, and a height/reach edge over Sato. Decent offensive wrestling with solid ground-and-pound on top, but struggles off his back if taken down himself. Comes in off a competitive loss in his UFC debut.
vs AJ Fletcher lean UFC Fight Night Andrade vs Blanchfield Predictions & Full Card Breakdown UFC Vegas 69 · February 14, 2023 · 7 reads since
He directly disclaims confidence, declines any wager, and takes Fletcher only on a bare tiebreaker: a tougher resume and a style matchup that could let him finish from the top.
A UFC debutant whose wrestling and ground-and-pound looked good on the regional scene, albeit against lower-level competition. Our words: he throws kicks more often than Fletcher and lands bombs once on top, but struggles badly off his back and did not look good in his last outing.
Striking trend
Fight history
L Jonathan Micallef 2-0 walk-in Decision - Split · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs. Prates · May 2, 2026
L Jeremiah Wells 12-4-1 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Garcia vs. Onama · November 1, 2025
L Vicente Luque 22-10-1 walk-in Submission · R1 0:52 — UFC 310: Pantoja vs. Asakura · December 7, 2024
W Niko Price 16-7 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira · October 12, 2024
W Ramiz Brahimaj 10-4 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Murphy · May 18, 2024
W Pete Rodriguez 1-1 walk-in KO/TKO · R1 0:32 — UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov · February 3, 2024
W Takashi Sato 16-6 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Hill · May 20, 2023
L AJ Fletcher 0-2 walk-in Submission · R2 1:37 — UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Blanchfield · February 18, 2023
Walk-in records count UFC bouts in this database. For the pre-UFC career, see the record breakdown below or the Tapology button up top.
Record breakdown
Wins by method
Losses by method
Fights by organization
Full career — 21 fights, every organization
| Opponent | Method | Event | Org | Rd | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L | Jonathan Micallef | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs. Prates
May 2, 2026 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Jeremiah Wells | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Garcia vs. Onama
November 1, 2025 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Vicente Luque | Technical Submission (anaconda choke) | UFC 310
December 7, 2024 |
UFC | 1 | 0:52 |
| W | Niko Price | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira
October 12, 2024 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Ramiz Brahimaj | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Murphy
May 18, 2024 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Pete Rodriguez | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov
February 3, 2024 |
UFC | 1 | 0:32 |
| W | Takashi Sato | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Hill
May 20, 2023 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | A.J. Fletcher | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Blanchfield
February 18, 2023 |
UFC | 2 | 1:37 |
| W | Julio Rafael Rodrigues | Decision (unanimous) | Fury FC 65
June 26, 2022 |
Fury FC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Handesson Ferreira | Decision (unanimous) | UAE Warriors 24
October 29, 2021 |
UAE Warriors | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Lyle Karam | Submission (triangle choke) | EFC 84
March 14, 2020 |
EFC | 2 | 2:06 |
| W | Luke Michael | TKO (punches) | EFC 82
September 28, 2019 |
EFC | 1 | 2:48 |
| W | José da Rocha Junior | Decision (unanimous) | EFC 79
May 4, 2019 |
EFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Dave Mazany | KO (punches) | EFC 63
September 9, 2017 |
EFC | 2 | 0:39 |
| W | Joe Cummins | Decision (unanimous) | EFC 49
May 13, 2016 |
EFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Leon Mynhardt | Submission (guillotine choke) | EFC 44
October 3, 2015 |
EFC | 2 | 1:03 |
| W | Alex Cheboub | Submission (guillotine choke) | EFC 37
February 21, 2015 |
EFC | 1 | 1:50 |
| W | Chaz Wasserman | Submission (brabo choke) | EFC 27
February 27, 2014 |
EFC | 2 | 4:31 |
| W | Chimmy van Winkel | Submission (armbar) | EFC 26
December 12, 2013 |
EFC | 1 | 1:59 |
| W | Juan Lubbe | Submission (armbar) | EFC 22
August 15, 2013 |
EFC | 1 | 3:48 |
| W | Sydney Mokgolo | Submission (triangle choke) | Imagine FC 3
June 15, 2013 |
Imagine FC | 2 | 1:50 |
Career history from the fighter's Wikipedia record table (Themba Gorimbo) — results only, no strike stats; UFC bouts are marked and carry full stats in the fight history above.
Division context
Headshot of Themba Gorimbo by UFC · Official UFC athlete photo (copyright UFC; not freely licensed) · Wikimedia Commons · flattened onto dark background, cropped/resized