Tag: Themba Gorimbo

UFC 310 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2024 total passes $8 million

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program has now paid out more than $8 million to athletes in 2024 under the Venum deal.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 310 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $368,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 310 took place at T-Mobile Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

The full UFC 310 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kron Gracie[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Dooho Choi[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Lukasz Brzeski[/autotag]: $6,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $8,072,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $30,809,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

UFC 310 results: Vicente Luque chokes out Themba Gorimbo in 52 seconds, calls out Jorge Masvidal

Vicente Luque scored the fastest anaconda choke submission win in history at UFC 310, then called out Jorge Masvidal.

[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] showed he should not be written off at this stage of his career when he destroyed [autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag] at UFC 310.

Luque (22-10-1 MMA, 15-6 UFC) moved into second place on the all-time welterweight finishes list when he rocked Gorimbo (14-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) early in the fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. He then latched onto an anaconda choke that put his opponent out cold just 52 seconds into the contest.

It was a brilliant performance from Luque, who many questioned about his ability to return to top form after a brain bleed nearly ended his career several years ago (via X):

Luque’s 14 stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition trail only Matt Brown (15) all-time in the division, and afterward he declared his intention to rack up many more in his career, while calling out Jorge Masvidal for a rumored UFC event in Miami in 2025.

“I am back – I am back to finish everybody,” Luque said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. “You guys counted me out, but I’ve never been out. I’m back. … Masvidal, there’s a show coming in Miami. Let’s go.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC 310 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Themba Gorimbo plans to be ranked after UFC 310 fight with Vicente Luque

Heading into UFC 310, it’s not lost on Themba Gorimbo how fortunate he is, and he plans to capitalize in a big way.

LAS VEGAS – Heading into UFC 310, it’s not lost on [autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag] how fortunate he is.

Gorimbo is replacing Nick Diaz on late notice to fight Vicente Luque on the prelims of Saturday’s event at T-Mobile Arena (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+). It’s one of those fights where Gorimbo, who isn’t ranked, has a golden opportunity to take the spot of a perennial contender in Luque, who’s No. 14 in the official UFC welterweight rankings.

Gorimbo can’t wait to have his moment, which he believes will be the first step in propelling him to his ultimate goal of winning a UFC title.

“It’s a blessing to be here,” Gorimbo said Wednesday at UFC 310 media day. “I manifested this through words and action. Here I am, man. I was not the backup (for Luque vs. Diaz). I was just manifesting that I would be here. When Diaz pulled out, they had options. But the last man standing was Themba Gorimbo. I’m here now, and Saturday I will be a ranked fighter. Finally in my career, I am working toward something that I have always wanted. That is to be the UFC welterweight champion.

“I’m grateful for Luque. Honestly because, you know what, he doesn’t have to fight me. He didn’t need to fight me. There’s nothing for him in this fight, but he has to fight me on Saturday, and I have to go out there and win. I’m going to win. I’m thankful he’s giving me the opportunity to be a ranked fighter.”

Gorimbo, who’s on a four-fight winning streak, is looking to claim his fourth victory of the year and believes he can beat Luque everywhere.

“I respect Luque, man,” Gorimbo said. “I respect him, and I respect what he has done. Just unfortunately we have to fight, and I’m going to win.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Nick Diaz officially out of UFC 310; Vicente Luque gets new opponent

Fight fans won’t see Nick Diaz in the UFC cage in 2024, after all.

Fan-favorite UFC star [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag] won’t be competing in 2024 after all.

Saturday during the UFC Fight Night 248 broadcast, the promotion confirmed Diaz (26-10 MMA, 7-7 UFC) is out of his Dec. 7 bout at UFC 310 vs. [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] (22-10-1 MMA, 15-6 UFC) for undisclosed reasons. MMA Mania first reported the change.

Stepping in for Diaz will be [autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC). The three-round welterweight bout will take place on the card’s prelims at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The cancellation comes days after a bizarre video of Diaz sitting on the ground and attempting to light something on fire went viral on social media. It’s unclear what Diaz was doing exactly, as is the original source of the video.

Diaz, 41, has not competed since a September 2021 loss to Robbie Lawler. That fight is his only since January 2015. He attempted a comeback for an August bout vs. Luque, but withdrew from that one, too, though that was due to “travel issues,” according to the promotion.

Zimbabwe’s Gorimbo, 33, steps into the highest-profile MMA fight of his life against a former welterweight contender. He enters the bout on a four-fight winning streak that consists of victories over Takashi Sato, Pete Rodriguez, Ramiz Brahimaj, and Niko Price.

Luque, 32, aims to bounce back from a TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley in March. The defeat was his third in four fights with the lone victory in the stretch a unanimous decision over Rafael dos Anjos.

With the change, the UFC 310 lineup includes:

  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura – for flyweight title
  • Ian Machado Garry vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
  • Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Kron Gracie vs. Bryce Mitchell
  • Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
  • Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
  • Eryk Anders vs. Chris Weidman
  • Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
  • Themba Gorimbo vs. Vicente Luque
  • Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van
  • Martin Buday vs. Rizvan Kuniev
  • Bryan Battle vs. Randy Brown
  • Lukasz Brzeski vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
  • Doo Ho Choi vs. Nate Landwehr

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

After ‘smart’ win over Niko Price, Themba Gorimbo lobbies for Diaz-Luque fill-in role

Themba Gorimbo, one of the card’s biggest favorites, won for the fourth straight time when he outworked Niko Price at UFC Fight Night 244.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag] beat Niko Price with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 244 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Gorimbo, who was one of the card’s biggest favorites and won for the fourth straight time.

Themba Gorimbo def. Niko Price

Themba Gorimbo

Result: Themba Gorimbo def. Niko Price via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Gorimbo (14-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC), Price (16-8 MMA, 8-8 UFC)
Key stats: Gorimbo outstruck Price 141-58 and had more than 9 minutes of control time.

Gorimbo on the fight’s key moment

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 12: (R-L) Themba Gorimbo of Zimbabwe punches Niko Price in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 12, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

“I think that was a tough fight. I thought Niko would go out sooner, but he’s a tough guy. I’m blessed to have won. Obviously, as a person you want a better performance, like knock the guy out and stuff. My mindset today was trying to finish the fight.”

Gorimbo on going the distance

“I feel good about (going 15 minutes). This is a tough sport. You need to be smart and win smartly and knock guys out and get out of there quicker, but sometimes guys are prepared for you at this level. It’s hard to get finishes. When you’re blessed to have one, celebrate it because sometimes it can go away very soon. Niko is tough. It was a good fight for me mentally because he took me to a place where a lot of people failed to, and it was a blessing.”

Gorimbo on what he wants next

Themba Gorimbo def. Niko Price, UFC Fight Night 244

“I would like to come back and fight early January, latest. I have to earn my spot out of the Apex, but I don’t mind fighting at the Apex. The last card of the year, or 11th of January – I’d like to have one more fight before my 34th birthday. I’m no spring chicken. I know Black don’t crack. I look good, but I would like to fight on the 11th of January, start the year with a bang. I would love to fight in December if Nick Diaz and Vicente Luque – if one of them pulls out. I would love to fight one of them.”

To hear more from Gorimbo, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.

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UFC Fight Night 244 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Brad Tavares gets $21,000 in record bout

UFC Fight Night 244 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 244 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $186,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 244 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 244 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]JunYong Park[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Chidi Njokuani[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jared Gooden[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Rafa Garcia[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Ramazan Temirov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Pat Sabatini[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Sean Sharaf[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Julia Polastri[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Cory McKenna[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cody Haddon[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Dan Argueta[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Clayton Carpenter[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lucas Rocha[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,630; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $32,000 while title challengers get $42,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-63 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,488,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $29,225,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.

Themba Gorimbo sees himself as realistic headliner for UFC Africa: ‘I’m a big inspiration’

With UFC Africa in the works, Zimbabwe’s Themba Gorimbo thinks the math adds up for him to serve as one half of the main event.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag] came out victorious Saturday at UFC Fight Night 241 to top off an emotional week.

On the main card at the UFC Apex, Gorimbo (13-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) defeated Ramiz Brahimaj (10-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC), but did so with a heavy heart after the death of his coach’s mother. The tragedy catalyzed unwavering determination and strength.

“I don’t think he took me down,” Gorimbo told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “I think every time he tried to take me down, I remembered my coach and the sacrifice that he made. I said, ‘Nope.’ I remembered the sacrifice that he made. That’s why he didn’t take me down. Every time, he didn’t take me down. My takedown defense was solid. I took him down. I could’ve done more if I wanted to. But for this fight, I was working more on defensive wrestling than attacking wrestling. Because I wanted to knock him out. What I’m doing is being grateful for the win. That’s the most important thing.”

Gorimbo wanted a spectacular finish but didn’t get it. Since he defeated Brahimaj by unanimous decision, Gorimbo didn’t think he was in a position to call his next shot. Instead, he outlined a roadmap of locations for his next fights.

Gorimbo plans to fight at the UFC Apex again, and then perhaps he’ll be aligned to headline the first UFC event in Africa. He considers himself the ideal candidate for the position.

“I’ve heard the rumors they’re going with a Fight Night first when they do go,” Gorimbo said. “At a Fight Night, there’s no titles needed. So I have to make my way up and main event an Apex show. From there, I’ll main event the first African show because I’m a big inspiration to the African fighters because of where I come from. I earned my spot to be here. I didn’t have anything. I worked my ass off to be here. I sacrificed. I nagged my manager daily to be here in the UFC. If an African child can maybe take a page out of my story, to try to make it here, I’m the perfect guy to ask. If you listen to me and you try to do what I do, you might be up there or just land in the UFC.

“I feel like I need to do that to inspire a lot of other African kids. I respect the guys who came before me, Izzy (Adesanya), Kamaru (Usman), the history he made, (Francis) Ngannou, the history he made, Dricus (Du Plessis) with the championship that he has. I respect that. But when it comes to the guy who can actually relate a lot more than anything, I’m not disrespecting the guys, but I come from the gutters of Africa, the gutters of Africa. I can maybe turn a page and reach the new market the UFC needs to reach.”

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In Gorimbo’s mind there’s a difference between a role model and an inspiration. He considers himself the latter, but not the former.

“I’m not a guy that is a role model,” Gorimbo said. “I’m just Themba Gorimbo. That’s what I’m proud of firstly. … When I sit at home, before sleeping at home in my bed, I reflect, and I don’t make the same mistakes again. So I’m not a role model, but I want to be an inspiration and I think I am. … I am inspiration more than a role model.”

While no clear timeline has been announced by the UFC for its Africa debut, company CEO Dana White has repeatedly expressed interest in an event there. In December, he revealed the promotion expects the first UFC event on that continent to take place in either South Africa, Rwanda, or Nigeria.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.

UFC Fight Night 241 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $26 million

UFC Fight Night 241 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 241 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $158,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 241 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 241 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Khaos Williams[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Carlston Harris[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Ramiz Brahimaj[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Vinicius Salvador[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Luana Pinheiro[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Tom Nolan[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Victor Martinez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Oumar Sy[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Tuco Tokkos[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Ariane Carnelossi[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Piera Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Heili Alateng[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kleydson Rodrigues[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Emily Ducote[/autotag]: $4,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2411 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,264,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,001,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.

Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Themba Gorimbo prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC Fight Night 241

Will Ramiz Brahimaj find success after a two-year layoff against the surging Themba Gorimbo at UFC Fight Night 241?

[autotag]Ramiz Brahimaj[/autotag] and [autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 241 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.  

Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Themba Gorimbo UFC Fight Night 241 preview

Brahimaj (10-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) and Gorimbo (12-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) meet in a fun matchup at welterweight. … Brahimaj returns to action for the first time since February 2022, where he submitted Micheal Gillmore to continue his trend of trading wins and losses for four years. … After dropping his UFC debut by submission, Gorimbo won his next two fights, most recently stopping Pete Rodriguez in February.

Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Themba Gorimbo expert pick, prediction

Filling out the main card is a welterweight affair between Brahimaj and Gorimbo. Looking to continue the momentum of a two-fight winning streak, Gorimbo will welcome Brahimaj back to the octagon after a two-year layoff.

Although Gorimbo has a lot of hype and a story that’s easy to get behind, the South African fighter is still a bit too green and willing to grapple for me to confidently pick him here.

Don’t get me wrong: Gorimbo will be much livelier as the fight wears on due to his cardio edge, but I see the smaller octagon of the UFC Apex favoring the dedicated submission stylings of Brahimaj.

For that reason, I’ll pick the Fortis MMA product to have a successful return by submitting Gorimbo in Round 1.

Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Themba Gorimbo odds

The oddsmakers and the public are slightly favoring the South African fighter this weekend, listing Gorimbo -142 and Brahimaj +116 via FanDuel. Brahimaj was an underdog in his UFC debut, and lost by TKO due to a damaged ear. He was a favorite over his next three appearances, winning two of those bouts. Gorimbo was also a losing underdog in his promotional debut. He was then listed as the favorite in his next two fights, winning both.

Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Themba Gorimbo start time, how to watch

As the third fight on the main card, Brahimaj and Gorimbo are expected to make their walk to the octagon around 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT). The fight streams live on ESPN+.

For more detailed analysis from Dan Tom, check out his weekly show, “The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.

UFC Fight Night 241: Themba Gorimbo vs. Ramiz Brahimaj odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 241 odds between Themba Gorimbo vs. Ramiz Brahimaj, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round welterweight bout on the main card, Themba Gorimbo and Ramiz Brahimaj meet Saturday at UFC Fight Night 241 — also known as UFC on ESPN+ 99 and UFC Vegas 92 — at the UFC’s Apex Facility in Las Vegas. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC Fight Night 241: Gorimbo vs. Brahimaj odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN+, while the main card starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Records: Gorimbo (12-4-0) | Brahimaj (10-4-0)

The Zimbabwean-born Gorimbo takes the walk with 2 straight victories under his belt after a submission loss in his UFC debut back on Feb. 18, 2023, against AJ Fletcher. The win streak includes a KO/TKO in 32 seconds against Pete Rodriguez last time out on the Dolidze-Imavov card.

Brahimaj has split his 4 fights at the UFC level. He bounced back with a submission win over Michael Gillmore last time out after losing via unanimous decision against Court McGee in mid-January. He has had just 1 of his 4 fights go the distance since arriving in the UFC in Nov. 2020.

Gorimbo enters the octagon with a 5-inch reach advantage, and he holds a tremendous lead in significant strikes accuracy percentage. Gorimbo lands 67.82% of those strikes, while Brahimaj lands just 43.43% of his significant strikes. Gorimbo is much better with a 3.39 takedown average, to just 1.90 for Brahimaj.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC Fight Night 241: Gorimbo vs. Brahimaj odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:20 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Gorimbo -150 (bet $150 to win $100) | Brahimaj +125 (bet $100 to win $125)
  • Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -160 | Under +120)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +180 | No -250)

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UFC Fight Night 241: Gorimbo vs. Brahimaj picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

GORIMBO (-150), a.k.a. “The Answer”, is a strong play in this welterweight clash at the Apex.

The Zimbabwean has won the past 2 fights, and just 1 of his 3 fights have ended up going the distance.

Brahimaj (+125) tapped out Gillmore last time out, and just 1 of his 4 bouts have needed the judges to decide his fate.

GORIMBO BY KO/TKO, DQ OR SUBMISSION (+175) on the 5-way line for method of victory is the best play for the chance to nearly double up.

Over/Under (O/U)

No: Will the fight go the distance? (-250) will set you back 2½ times your potential return, and that’s just too much risk for not enough reward.

However, OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-160) isn’t a bad play for a moderate price. While Gorimbo has ended up going past the halfway point of Round 2 just once in his 3 UFC fights, Brahimaj has gone the distance once, and he has fought into Round 3 in 2 of his 4 UFC bouts, including a 3rd-round KO/TKO loss to Max Griffin in his company debut in Nov. 2020.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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