‘I WON’T PAY BLACK TAX’- Zimbabwean UFC fighter cuts off family to avoid giving them geld

“I don’t belong to Zimbabwe. I belong to the universe. I belong to every single person that wants to take inspiration from me.”

Themba Gorimbo, a Zimbabwean-born UFC fighter, has stirred conversation and controversy by asserting his disconnection from his home country and family and the pressures of “Black Tax”..

During an interview with CNN’s Larry Madowo on African Voices at the UFC Headquarters in Las Vegas, Gorimbo expressed sentiments that have resonated with many while drawing criticism from others.

Gorimbo, who has embarked on a remarkable journey from a childhood marked by trauma and hardship in Zimbabwe to success in the UFC, explained the difficult reasons behind severing ties with his family.

The 35-year-old revealed: “I don’t talk to any of my family members anymore. None. I have got all my family members off my phone. Nobody. I blocked them all. I love my family from far.”

According to him, the lack of support from his loved ones during his struggles led to feelings of isolation and frustration.

Now residing in Miami, Florida, with his wife and two children, Gorimbo’s life took a positive turn when he was provided a house by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in 2023, after previously sleeping on a sofa at the MMA Masters gym.

After being laughed out of his village over his dream, Gorimbo says his family now demand support and “handouts”. 

He added: “Nobody in Zimbabwe supported me, including my own family. I had this dream by myself. I went after this by myself. People laughed at me when I was doing this.

“My family feels entitled because that’s how our minds in Africa are like, because also, we are blackmailed that we cannot say no. Black tax is real in Africa, like, and we cannot say no.”

Clips from the interview have trended on social media, sparking a variety of reactions.

User @PascalMwenge stated, “Black tax broke this man. Family mocked him when he was broke, then expected handouts when he made it. Brutal, but can we really blame him?”

Alternatively, @zandatoto remarked, “Arrogance on stilts. He behaves as if he was born a UFC fighter and raised himself.”