It was a short night in the Octagon for UFC welterweight Themba Gorimbo, who replaced Nick Diaz on a week's notice at UFC 310.
It took just seconds for UFC welterweight mainstay Vicente Luque to put replacement opponent Themba Gorimbo to sleep during the UFC 310 prelims. Luque chokeslammed Gorimbo in an anaconda choke, forcing Gorimbo into unconsciousness before he had a chance to tap the submission.
It was a disappointing setback for Gorimbo after he filled in for UFC fan favorite Diaz at UFC 310. Diaz was dropped from his UFC 310 booking against Luque for unknown reasons, amid concerning behavior in a now-viral video clip.
Gorimbo's quick loss could have shown how the Luque-Diaz fight would have played out inside the Octagon.
Photos by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Themba Gorimbo's short-term gamble falls short at UFC 310
Diaz's highly anticipated UFC comeback fight took place at UFC 266, where he lost by TKO to former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. Fans, pundits and some fellow fighters called on Diaz to hang up the gloves upon his return.
Before the loss to Lawler, Diaz had not fought since a unanimous decision loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 182. The fight was later overturned to a no-contest after Diaz tested positive for a banned substance.
Diaz's last win was against BJ Penn at UFC 137, which is considered one of the best fights in the promotion's history. A UFC welterweight title fight against the legendary Georges St-Pierre at UFC 158 resulted in another lopsided defeat for Diaz.
Meanwhile, Gorimbo's defeat at UFC 310 snapped a four-fight winning streak. His rise into the top half of the UFC welterweight division comes amid an inspiring story of overcoming adversity that caught the attention of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Nick Diaz's Octagon return remains cloudy after UFC 310's withdrawal
Diaz was scheduled to return against Luque at UFC Abu Dhabi earlier this year before withdrawing from the event due to a travel-related issue. Luque was not rebooked for the card and opted to wait until December for Diaz, but unfortunately the second attempt to make the fight didn't work out.
Diaz is one of the most beloved figures in UFC history by fans and fellow fighters. During his career, he helped put Stockton, CA on the map with victories over Paul Daley, Cyborg Santos and Frank Shamrock.
Diaz won the inaugural Strikeforce Welterweight Championship from KJ Noons in October 2010. Just three fights later, following the UFC-Strikeforce merger, Diaz made his UFC debut against Penn and won by unanimous decision.
Diaz could still potentially return to the Octagon in 2025, although at the time of writing nothing is set in stone for the former UFC title challenger's next fight.
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