Issue 069
December 2010
STATISTICS
Name: Takanori Gomi
Age: 32
Height: 5’8”
Category: Lightweight
Record: 32-6-0; 12 (T)KOs (37.5%); 6 Submissions (18.75%); 14 Decisions (43.75%)
Fighting Style: Boxing/Wrestling
Fights out of: Tokyo, Japan
Active since: 1998
At 32 years old Japanese favorite Takanori Gomi is now well departed from his youth-based nickname ‘The Fireball Kid’. And though some wondered if the lightweight’s star had dimmed with age, due to a spluttering 4-3 record post-Pride, an additional victory (his August ‘Knockout of the Night’ over Tyson Griffin) has people reneging on their doubts.
While Gomi had pre- and post-MMA debut success via his wrestling base, boxing actually entered his life first and laid the foundation that helped him become a more sprawl ‘n’ brawl fighter in the latter half of his career. After an impressive run in grappling competitions as a youth, Gomi joined a shooto gym in 1997 and made his debut in its father fight organization a year later.
He worked his way through the Shooto ranks between 1998 and 2003, going unbeaten for his first 14 fights. However, the majority of his wins came by unanimous decision, belying the strike focus the lightweight ultimately became known for. The Fireball Kid has never been knocked out or TKO’d and as a result he’s content to swing for the fences within his opponent’s reach without sufficiently covering up. Though this hasn’t brought an immediate end to his fights it can mean the lightweight leaves holes for his opponents to exploit and rack up points on the judges’ scorecards.
The Pride lightweight champion often switches stances mid-fight in order to disrupt his opponent’s rhythm. Though he starts in southpaw he’ll switch to traditional multiple times in a round and has gradually looked more comfortable doing so as his career has progressed.
Prior to and during his current UFC run, American Kickboxing Academy (the home of Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch and Cain Velasquez) has often hosted a Gomi training stint. The man has recently expressed interest in making the US his full-time base in order to better prepare him for a run at the UFC lightweight belt.
HEAD
The mindset of a fight-bound Takanori Gomi is often the decider between him chalking a win or a loss. The Japanese brawler has a habit of becoming complacent and overestimating his chances against opponents – something he attributes to the loss of his Shooto welterweight belt on the end of a 14-fight win streak in 2003. His ‘Ls’ have seen him either getting out-worked or caught in a submission.
HEART
The Fireball Kid’s slugfest with Nick Diaz (Pride 33) is a perfect example of his unrelenting attitude to a fight. Though Gomi was severely gassed far before the end of the first round, he gutted out every second even when he was too tired to keep his hands up; either dodging punches or throwing haymakers in order to distract and slow a ferocious Diaz. If Gomi’s still standing he’s still swinging.
FISTS
Though Gomi is very much a boxer-wrestler hybrid it’s his hands the majority of people know him for. Most recently he clocked Tyson Griffin with a fight-ending right hand at UFC on Versus 2 in August, but he has at least seven fist-based finishes during his career. Gomi likes to take a low stance in order to really plant his feet and apply full force behind his strikes.
CAREER SNAPSHOT
2003
Gomi loses his Shooto belt to Joachim Hansen via decision then submits to a BJ Penn rear naked choke two months later at Rumble on the Rock 4 in Hawaii – his first two losses.
2004
In only his second Pride fight The Fireball Kid scores the promotion’s record for fastest knockout. He clips a shooting Ralph Gracie with a knee and finishes him off with a few more – all inside the first six seconds.
2005
Wins the Pride lightweight (161lb) Grand Prix, and by default the title belt for the weight class. Those victories over Tatsuya Kawajiri, Luiz Azeredro and the legendary Hayato ‘Mach’ Sakurai make him the first, and only, holder.
.2007
Gomi engages in a haymaker-exchanging brawl with Nick Diaz at Pride 33 in Las Vegas. Diaz gets the tap via gogoplata in the second round but the result is later overturned when the American tests positive for marijuana..
