Jeremiah Wells and Themba Gorimbo squared off in a welterweight clash at UFC Vegas 110 on Saturday, with both fighters looking to take a step forward in a crowded division.
Wells (12-4-1) entered the bout after more than a year away from the Octagon, needing a win to avoid a three-fight skid. Consecutive losses to Carlston Harris and Max Griffin had him with his back against the wall heading into the matchup with Gorimbo.
Gorimbo (14-5) entered the matchup coming off a setback against Vicente Luque at UFC 310, which ended his three-fight win streak. Sitting at 4-2 in the promotion, he looked to get back on track and begin a new run against Wells.
Round 1 – Gorimbo took the center of the Octagon to start, but Wells immediately uncorked a heavy right hand and followed with a quick combination that forced Gorimbo backward. Gorimbo responded by shooting for a takedown and successfully bringing Wells to the mat.
Wells quickly returned to his feet, yet Gorimbo stayed attached and secured another takedown, advancing straight into full mount. Wells turned belly down, allowing Gorimbo to take his back and land punches from top position.
Wells worked his way upright and pressed Gorimbo to the fence, only to be tripped and taken down again. Gorimbo maintained control as Wells tried to tie him up, but Wells eventually stood and reversed position, pinning Gorimbo to the cage. He secured a late takedown of his own, posturing for elbows as the round closed, though none landed before the horn.
Round 2 – Wells opened the round with a body kick and soon let his offense flow, landing combinations on Gorimbo after absorbing a return kick. Following a minute of striking exchanges, Gorimbo shot for a takedown but nearly fell into a choke attempt on the way in.
Gorimbo defended and completed the takedown, settling on top, but Wells quickly exploded back to his feet. Gorimbo immediately shot again and once more found himself fighting off a submission attempt before the action returned to the feet.
Wells turned up the pace, landing clean shots as Gorimbo tried to answer, before Wells timed a powerful double-leg takedown to plant him on the mat. Fatigue began to show on Gorimbo after his repeated wrestling efforts, and Wells capitalized by hunting for an arm-triangle choke.
Gorimbo used the fence well to defend, but Wells transitioned to mount with under a minute remaining. Gorimbo attempted to shake him off, but Wells stayed composed and reversed into top control to end the round in a dominant position.
Round 3 – Both fighters entered the third visibly fatigued, but Wells appeared to have more left in the tank, opening with heavy shots on Gorimbo before being taken down. Wells threatened with a guillotine on the way down but lost the grip, allowing Gorimbo to settle briefly into top position.
Wells worked his way to the fence and attacked another submission attempt, using it to scramble back to his feet. He then shot in for his own takedown, advancing into mount and once again hunting for an arm-triangle choke, though he couldn’t lock it in.
Wells dragged Gorimbo back down during a scramble and maintained control, repeatedly prioritizing submission attempts over ground-and-pound.
The round closed with Wells in top position, landing strikes to punctuate a strong finish.
