Takanori Gomi

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Takanori Gomi
Statistics
Nickname	Fireball Kid
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	72 kg (160 lb/11.3 st)
Born	September 22, 1978 (1978-09-22) (age 29)
Town of birth	Kanagawa, Japan
Team/Association	Team RASCAL[1]
Fighting style	Shooto, Collegiate Wrestling
Mixed martial arts record
Wins	28
By knockout	10
By submission	6
Losses	3
Draws	0

Takanori Gomi (五味隆典, Gomi Takanori^?, born September 22, 1978), "The Fireball Kid", is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He currently competes for World Victory Road. Gomi is a former Shooto Welterweight Champion and still holds the lightweight title from defunct promotion PRIDE Fighting Championship. He is also a two-time All Japan Combat Wrestling champion. Characterized by his ambidexterity in striking, Gomi is considered by many to be one of the best MMA lightweights in the world with notable wins over Hayato Sakurai, Jens Pulver, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Luiz Azeredo, Mitsuhiro Ishida, and Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett and most recently Duane Ludwig.

Both Sherdog and MMA-publication Nokaut rank Gomi as the number one lightweight in the world.^[2][3]

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Childhood 1.2 Shooto 1.3 Rumble on the Rock 1.4 PRIDE Fighting Championships 1.5 World Victory Road 2 Mixed martial arts record 3 Championships and accomplishments 3.1 Wrestling 3.2 Mixed martial arts 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Childhood

Takanori Gomi was born in Kanagawa, Japan in 1978. He started boxing at Sagamihara Yonekura Gym in 1994 while he was attending Kanagawa Prefectural Aikawa Higashi Junior High School. Gomi was very athletic and was the pitcher of the school’s baseball team, but dropped out of high school in 1996 when he failed to pass on to the next grade. This caused an argument between Gomi and his father who disowned him as a result of the altercation. Gomi then went on to learn American wrestling and competed in many wrestling tournaments throughout Japan, the pinnacle of his grappling career being his two All Japan Combat Wrestling championships, in which he defeated a number of the nation's top grapplers, future opponent Mitsuhiro Ishida amongst them.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Shooto

Gomi joined the official Shooto gym in 1997 where he began training and taking part in the amateur Shooto competitions. He made his professional mixed martial arts debut on November 27, 1998 at Shooto Las Grandes Viajes 6 in Tokyo, where he defeated Hiroshi Tsuruya by decision. Gomi won his first 14 MMA matches, mostly in the Shooto organization, but also fought in Vale Tudo Japan and in the Hawaiian-based organization SuperBrawl.

Takanori Gomi became the Shooto world welterweight champion in 2001 after defeating former teammate Rumina Sato by unanimous decision on December 16. Gomi then defeated highly regarded American grappler Chris Brennan on September 16, 2002 via unanimous decision. He also defended the Shooto crown in 2002, beating Dokonjonosuke Mishima by TKO in the second round.

Gomi's first loss was also his last fight in Shooto. It took place on August 10, 2003 at the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium. Gomi lost his title to Norwegian fighter Joachim Hansen by majority decision. This loss was considered a huge upset at the time due to Hansen's 6-1-1 record in MMA.

[edit] Rumble on the Rock

Gomi then fought Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran, former UFC welterweight champion, and current UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn on October 10, 2003 at the Rumble on the Rock 4 event in Honolulu, Hawaii. His first and only fight under unified rules, Gomi was defeated in the third round by rear naked choke.

[edit] PRIDE Fighting Championships

After back-to-back losses, Gomi found a new home in Japan’s premier MMA organization, the PRIDE Fighting Championships. He made his debut within the organization on February 15, 2004 at PRIDE Bushido 2 where he fought Jadson Costa of the famed Chute Boxe team out of Brazil. Gomi stopped Costa via TKO half way through the first round.

Gomi was asked back to PRIDE to face off with the undefeated Ralph Gracie at PRIDE Bushido 3. Gracie was the first coach of B.J. Penn, one of Gomi’s losses. Unlike his fight with Penn, Gomi made quick work of Gracie, scoring a six second TKO in the first round- the quickest match in the organization’s history, due to repeated knee strikes.

Takanori remained within the Bushido series, fighting and defeating both Fabio Mello and Charles "Crazy Horse" Bennett in the first round at PRIDE Bushido 4 and PRIDE Bushido 5. Mello later noted that, “Apart from being a good wrestler and a fine striker, Gomi knows how to defend on the ground. He is a complete fighter who, due to his MMA experience, grows as the bout unfolds.”^{[citation needed]}

Gomi then appeared at PRIDE’s New Year’s Eve show, PRIDE Shockwave 2004, against former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver. Gomi scored a knockout with an uppercut at 6:21 in the first round.

Gomi started off 2005 with a win over Luiz Azeredo at PRIDE Bushido 7. Azeredo dominated the fight from the opening bell with knees, punches, and flying kicks, but at the 3:46 mark of the first round, Gomi caught Luiz with two hooks that sent the Chute Boxe fighter to the mat. Gomi was then criticized for continuing to attack, even after Azeredo became unconscious, and was restrained by Dream Stage Entertainment (DSE) crew and staff. The Chute Boxe team stormed the ring and got into an altercation with Kiguchi Dojo. Gomi later stated that the extracurricular attack was due to adrenaline and apologized for his actions.

Wanting to capitalize on the altercation at PRIDE Bushido 7 and Gomi's wins over Chute Boxe team members Jadson Costa and Luiz Azeredo, PRIDE set Gomi up with Chute Box lightweight and Cage Rage champion Jean Silva at PRIDE Bushido 8. Gomi won the fight by unanimous decision, securing an armbar in the waning seconds of the fight.

In August, PRIDE announced that in the month of September they would be hosting an eight-man lightweight tournament. The first round set up Takanori Gomi with fellow Japanese fighter and then Shooto world welterweight champion Tatsuya Kawajiri. This fight was billed "the battle of the twenty first century boys" in Japan due to the popularity and world-class match up of the two fighters.^{[citation needed]} Many MMA critics had Gomi ranked number one and Kawajiri number two in the lightweight division.^{[citation needed]} Gomi submitted Kawajiri in the first round with a rear naked choke. Gomi then had to fight again later that night in the semi-finals against Luiz Azeredo. Gomi won via unanimous decision, becoming a finalist in the 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix.

Gomi met the other finalist, Hayato Sakurai, at PRIDE Shockwave 2005. Sakurai and Gomi were teammates at the official Shooto gym back in the late 90's.^{[citation needed]} Sakurai defeated Jens Pulver and Joachim Hansen to reach the finals. After some exchanges on their feet, Sakurai tried to take Gomi down with a hip toss, but on the way down, Gomi ended up on top in the mount. "The Fireball Kid" began to rain down punches, and after taking a lot of shots Sakurai twisted to escape, giving his back to Gomi. Finally Sakurai escaped and both fighters were on their feet, but the punches had taken their toll on Sakurai. Gomi threw a right hand and then followed up with a left-right combination. The last right hook caught Sakurai on the chin, knocking him out at 3:56 of the first round. Gomi was crowned the PRIDE 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix champion.

Gomi then made his 2006 debut at PRIDE Bushido 10. Before the event, DSE announced that Gomi would be crowned the PRIDE world lightweight champion due to winning the PRIDE 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix, although the upcoming Bushido 10 fight would not be a title match. He then faced Marcus Aurelio of American Top Team later that night. Aurelio choked out Gomi within the first round with an arm triangle. This match-up was a huge upset and put a lot of doubt within Gomi’s ability to fight off of his back. Although Aurelio won the match, it was a non-title bout, with Takanori Gomi remaining the PRIDE lightweight champion. Gomi said he took the match too easily and that this loss was the best thing for him to refocus and become a better fighter.^{[citation needed]}

After a few months off while building his Rascal Gym, Gomi made his return to the PRIDE ring at PRIDE Bushido 12 against 10-1 French fighter David Baron. Baron seemed willing to trade with Gomi and managed to slip some punches. Eventually Gomi caught up with him and knocked the Frenchman down, mixing up punches to the head and body. Baron missed a takedown attempt, allowing the PRIDE champion to get around his back and slam Baron to the ground. Baron rolled in an attempt to shake off his Japanese opponent, but Gomi held on, sinking in a rear naked choke. Baron defended the choke as long as he could, but eventually Gomi completed the technique, forcing Baron to tap at the 7:10 mark of the first round. Baron had previously won a tournament in Europe for the right to face Gomi.^{[citation needed]}

Gomi rematched Aurelio at PRIDE Bushido 13 on November 5, 2006. This time the PRIDE lightweight championship was on the line. Both fighters were extremely cautious, and many times the referee could be heard calling for more action during the bout. Aurelio’s jab was effective and hit the champion several times. Gomi, often switching his stance, replied with strikes of his own and landed numerous leg kicks. Several times the American Top Team fighter ended up on his back after failed takedown attempts. Rather than follow him down, Gomi just kicked Aurelio’s legs until the referee would stand the action back up.

Aurelio scored a clean takedown at the end of the first round, though. Aurelio attempted another takedown in the second, only to see "The Fireball Kid" counter with a kimura. Gomi showed shades of his past catch wrestling accolades when he countered another Aurelio takedown attempt with a half-nelson. He did not follow Aurelio to the ground, instead attacking his legs with kicks. Gomi refused to follow Aurelio to the ground despite his opponent's taunting. Gomi knocked down Aurelio with a body shot late in the last round, and the bout ended with Gomi connecting with a hard kick to Aurelio's body just before the final bell. The fight went to the judges and Gomi retained his title, walking away with the split decision.

Gomi's most recent win was a first round knockout of Mitsuhiro Ishida at PRIDE Shockwave 2006. Less than a minute into the fight Gomi countered a right leg kick from Ishida with a straight left punch that knocked him down. Gomi immediately went in for the finish, stopping Ishida with a series of hammer fists.

At PRIDE 33, Gomi suffered a loss to UFC veteran, Nick Diaz by way of gogoplata submission. In the beginning of the first round, Gomi was landing blows on the taller Diaz, even scoring a knockdown, which he was unable to capitalize upon. However, Diaz came back quickly and began to bombard Gomi, who had become visibly exhausted, with straight jabs and right hands for the later half of the round. As the second round opened, Gomi gamely tried to regain lost ground, but after a double leg takedown into Diaz's guard, suddenly found himself in a gogoplata submission. The lightweight champion tapped out at 1:46 of the second round. However, the Nevada State Athletic Commission has declared the fight a "no decision" after Diaz tested positive for marijuana.^[4]

By the end of his PRIDE tenture, Gomi was 13-1 with 1 NC in PRIDE.

[edit] World Victory Road

After Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, purchased PRIDE Fighting Championships from Dream Stage Entertainment, Gomi signed on with World Victory Road, and fought in it's inaugural event, "Sengoku", where he defeated Duane Ludwig by TKO (cut).^[5]

His next fight will be at World Victory Road "Sengoku III," his opponent is yet to be announced.

[edit] Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
32 matches	28 wins	3 losses
By knockout	10	0
By submission	6	2
By decision	12	1
No contests	1

Date	Result	Opponent	Event	Method	Round	Time	Notes
3/5/2008	Win	Duane Ludwig	World Victory Road: Sengoku	TKO (Cut)	1	2:28
2/24/2007	NC	Nick Diaz	PRIDE 33: Second Coming	Overturned by NSAC	2	1:46	Original loss via submission (gogoplata), result overturned by NSAC after Diaz failed drug test. Non-Title Bout
12/31/2006	Win	Mitsuhiro Ishida	PRIDE Shockwave 2006	TKO (strikes)	1	1:14	Non-Title Bout
11/5/2006	Win	Marcus Aurelio	PRIDE Bushido 13	Decision (split)	2	5:00	Defended PRIDE Lightweight Championship
8/26/2006	Win	David Baron	PRIDE Bushido 12	Submission (rear naked choke)	1	7:10	Non-Title Bout
4/2/2006	Loss	Marcus Aurelio	PRIDE Bushido 10	Submission (arm triangle choke)	1	4:34	Non-Title Bout
12/31/2005	Win	Hayato Sakurai	PRIDE Shockwave 2005	KO (punches)	1	3:56	PRIDE 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix Final. Was awarded PRIDE Lightweight Championship
9/25/2005	Win	Luiz Azeredo	PRIDE Bushido 9	Decision (unanimous)	2	5:00	PRIDE 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix semi-finals
9/25/2005	Win	Tatsuya Kawajiri	PRIDE Bushido 9	Submission (rear naked choke)	1	7:42	PRIDE 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix quarter-finals
7/17/2005	Win	Jean Silva	PRIDE Bushido 8	Decision (unanimous)	2	5:00
5/22/2005	Win	Luiz Azeredo	PRIDE Bushido 7	KO (punches)	1	3:46
12/31/2004	Win	Jens Pulver	PRIDE Shockwave 2004	KO (punch)	1	6:21
10/14/2004	Win	Charles Bennett	PRIDE Bushido 5	Submission (kimura)	1	5:52
7/19/2004	Win	Fabio Mello	PRIDE Bushido 4	TKO (strikes)	1	8:07
5/23/2004	Win	Ralph Gracie	PRIDE Bushido 3	TKO (knees)	1	0:06	Fastest knockout in PRIDE FC history
2/15/2004	Win	Jadson Costa	PRIDE Bushido 2	TKO (strikes)	1	4:55
10/10/2003	Loss	B.J. Penn	Rumble on the Rock 4	Submission (rear naked choke)	3	2:35
8/10/2003	Loss	Joachim Hansen	Shooto in Yokohama Gymnasium	Decision (majority)	3	5:00	Lost Shooto World Welterweight Championship
2/23/2003	Win	Nick Ertl	Shooto 2003-2/23 in Korakuen Hall	Submission (armbar)	1	4:59	Defended Shooto World Welterweight Championship
12/14/2002	Win	Dokonjonosuke Mishima	Shooto 2002 Year-End Show	TKO (punches)	2	0:52	Defended Shooto World Welterweight Championship
9/16/2002	Win	Chris Brennan	Shooto: Treasure Hunt 10	Decision (unanimous)	3	5:00	Defended Shooto World Welterweight Championship
6/29/2002	Win	Leonardo Santos	Shooto: Treasure Hunt 7	Decision (majority)	3	5:00	Defended Shooto World Welterweight Championship
12/16/2001	Win	Rumina Sato	Shooto: To The Top Final Act	Decision (unanimous)	3	5:00	Won Shooto World Welterweight Championship
11/12/2000	Win	Ryan Bow	Shooto: R.E.A.D. 12	Decision (unanimous)	3	5:00
7/16/2000	Win	Paul Rodriguez	Shooto: R.E.A.D. 6	Decision (unanimous)	3	5:00
4/2/2000	Win	Huanderson Pavao	Shooto: R.E.A.D. 3	Decision (unanimous)	3	5:00
12/11/1999	Win	Johnny Eduardo	Vale Tudo Japan 1999	Submission (rear naked choke)	3	1:43
9/5/1999	Win	Takuya Kawabara	Shooto: Renaxis 4	Decision (unanimous)	3	5:00
6/1/1999	Win	Stephen Palling	SuperBrawl 12	Submission (rear naked choke)	1	3:06
3/28/1999	Win	Takuya Kuwabara	Shooto: Renaxis 1	Decision (unanimous)	3	5:00
1/15/1999	Win	Kazumichi Takada	Shooto: DEVILOCK Fighters	TKO (punches)	2	3:42
11/27/1998	Win	Hiroshi Tsuruya	Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 6	Decision (unanimous)	3	5:00

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

[edit] Wrestling

• 6th All Japan Combat Wrestling Championships (67 - 74 kg division) 1st place, March 24, 2002
• 8th All Japan Combat Wrestling Championships (67 - 74 kg division) 1st place, February 23, 2003

[edit] Mixed martial arts

• PRIDE World lightweight champion (April 1, 2006 - present)
• PRIDE 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix Champion (December 31, 2005)
• Shooto Welterweight Champion (December 16, 2001 - August 10, 2003)

[edit] See also

• List of male mixed martial artists

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Professional MMA record for Takanori Gomi from Sherdog
• PRIDE profile