411 Fighter Profile: Takanori Gomi
Posted by Jonathan Solomon on 08.26.2008
One of the best lightweights in the world has made a career out of fighting across the globe. Whether you like him or not, you can not argue with the success of The Fireball Kid. Now check out this look at Takanori Gomi, the last PRIDE Lightweight Champion and perhaps the future WVR Champion.
Takanori Gomi
Nickname: "The Fireball Kid" Record: 29-3 Weight: 154 pounds Height: 5'8" Hometown: Kanagawa, Japan Ranking: #2 Lightweight
Association: Kugayama Rascal Gym Organizations: WVR Sengoku (current), PRIDE, Rumble on the Rock, Shooto, Icon Sport, Vale Tudo Japan Accomplishments: PRIDE Lightweight Champion, Earned Fastest KO in PRIDE history (six seconds), PRIDE 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix Winner, Former Shooto World Welterweight Champion, Placed 1st in 2002 & 2003 at All Japan Combat Wrestling Championships
Introduction
The soon-to-be 30-year old Takanori Gomi may not even be in his prime. That is a scary idea for potential opponents at 155-pounds. If you focus strictly on American MMA, you probably do not know about the phenom who took Japan by storm and remains one of the best in the weight class. The wrestler and boxer has fought several name fighters in Japan and in America to a mixed bag. His explosive punching power has ended many fights. Two of his three losses came against BJJ fighters. Some claim he is not as good as his record shows after losses to Marcus Aurelio and Nick Diaz (later overturned). Regardless of the criticism, Gomi remains one of the more exciting lightweights in the world.
Early Life
Takanori Gomi was born in Kanagawa, Japan on September 28th, 1978. He began training for boxing as a teenager. In high school, he played baseball until he dropped out. Gomi trained in wrestling while competing in several tournaments in Japan. His MMA training began in 1997 when he joined the Shooto gym. He made his MMA debut with Shooto in 1998.
Too bad the PRIDE gold went out of fashion. I wonder if he still has the belts hanging on a wall, or stuffed in a closet.
This is from the Abu Dhabi Grappling Championships in 2001, Matt Serra vs. Takanori Gomi. It's just interesting to see where both men went in the years since.
MMA Career
Win, Hiroshi Tsuruya, Decision, Round 2, 5:00 Shooto Las Grandes Viajes 6, Tokyo, Japan, 11.27.98 Win, Kazumichi Takada, TKO, Round 2, 3:42 Shooto Devilock Fighters, Tokyo, Japan, 01.15.99 Win, Takuya Kuwabara, Decision, Round 3, 5:00 Shooto Renaxis 1, Tokyo, Japan, 03.28.99 Win, Stephen Palling, Submission, Round 1, 3:06 Icon Sport Superbrawl 12, Honolulu, Hawaii, 06.01.99 Win, Takuya Kuwabara, Decision, Round 3, 5:00 Shooto Renxis 4, Tokyo, Japan, 09.05.99
Win, Johnny Eduardo, Submission, Round 3, 1:43 Vale Tudo Japan, Tokyo, Japan, 12.11.99 Win, Anderson Pavao, Decision, Round 3, 5:00 Shooto R.E.A.D. 3, Osaka, Japan, 04.02.00 Win, Paul Rodriguez, Decision, Round 3, 5:00 Shooto R.E.A.D. 6, Tokyo, Japan, 07.16.00
Win, Ryan Bow, Decision, Round 3, 5:00 Shooto R.E.A.D. 12, Tokyo, Japan, 11.12.00 Win, Rumina Sato, Decision, Round 3, 5:00 Shooto To The Top Final Act, Tokyo, Japan, 12.16.01 Win, Leonard Santos, Decision, Round 3, 5:00 Shooto Treasure Hunt 7, Osaka, Japan, 06.29.02
Win, Chris Brennan, Decision, Round 3, 5:00 Shooto Treasure Hunt 10, Yokohama, Japan, 09.16.02 Win, Dokonjonosuke Mishima, TKO, Round 2, 0:52 Shooto 2002 Year End Show, Tokyo, Japan, 12.14.02
Win, Nick Ertl, Submission, Round 1, 4:59 Shooto 2003 in Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan, 02.23.03
Loss, Joachim Hansen, Decision, Round 3, 5:00 Shooto 2003 in Yokohama Cultural Gym, Yokohama, Japan, 08.10.03 Loss, B.J. Penn, Submission, Round 3, 2:35 Rumble on the Rock 4, Honolulu, Hawaii, 10.10.03
No Contest, Nick Diaz, --, Round 2, 1:46 PRIDE 33: Second Coming, Las Vegas, Nevada, 02.24.07
An exciting fight, but also an infamous fight. Nick Diaz tested positive for mairjuana and the Las Vegas athletic commission changed the decision to a No Contest.
Win, Duane Ludwig, TKO, Round 1, 2:28 Sengoku: First Battle, Tokyo, Japan, 03.05.08
We conclude with a nice highlight package from the YouTube.
The Future
Early in 2008, Takanori Gomi was in negotiations with the UFC but they ultimately did not come to terms. It appears Gomi is more than happy to stay in Japan and fight in his home country. Gomi signed with Japanese promotion World Victory Road. Gomi's most recent fight took place at Sengoku 4 earlier this week. In a non-tournament fight against Seung Hwan Bang, Gomi won by unanimous decision. Bang owned a 5-1 record in the DEEP promotion as well as that promotion's Lightweight Championship. Gomi's next fight is expected to be for the vacant and newly created Sengoku Lightweight Championship. His opponent is expected to be the winner of the lightweight tournament.
