Takanori Gomi - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

, is a Japanese

Japanese people

The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...

mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...

. Gomi is a former Shooto

Shooto

Shooto is a mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the Shooto Association and the International Shooto Commission. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, as an organization and as a particular fighting system derived from shoot wrestling. Practitioners are referred to as shooters,...

Welterweight Champion and was the last and only Pride Lightweight Champion. He is also a four-time All Japan Combat Wrestling champion. During his time in Pride he was considered to be the top Lightweight

Lightweight (MMA)

The lightweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:* The UFC & Strikeforce lightweight division with upper limit at 155 lb...

fighter in the world. Known for having a great chin, Gomi has never been knocked out.

Biography

Gomi was born in Kanagawa, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

in 1978. He started boxing

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

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 incident. Gomi then went on to learn freestyle wrestling

Freestyle wrestling

Freestyle wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is practised throughout the world. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic games. It is, along with track and field, one of the oldest organized sports in history...

and catch wrestling

Catch wrestling

Catch wrestling is a style of folk wrestling that was developed and popularised in the late 19th century by the wrestlers of traveling carnivals who incorporated submission holds, or "hooks", into their wrestling to increase their effectiveness against their opponents...

at Kiguchi Dojo and competed in many wrestling tournaments throughout Japan, the pinnacle of his grappling

Grappling

Grappling refers to techniques, maneuvers, and counters applied to an opponent in order to gain a physical advantage, such as improving relative position, escaping, submitting, or injury to the opponent. Grappling is a general term that covers techniques used in many disciplines, styles and martial...

career being his four All Japan Combat Wrestling championships, in which he defeated a number of the nation's top grapplers, future opponent Mitsuhiro Ishida

Mitsuhiro Ishida

Mitsuhiro Ishida is a Japanese mixed martial artist who has competed in Shooto, Strikeforce and Pride. He currently competes in Dream and is known for his wrestling ability and endurance.- Mixed martial arts career :...

amongst them.

Shooto

Gomi joined the official Shooto

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

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, 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

Hawaiian Islands

The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...

-based organization SuperBrawl

SuperBrawl

SuperBrawl was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view in World Championship Wrestling during the month of February from 1991 through 2001. Along with Starrcade, Bash at the Beach, The Great American Bash and Halloween Havoc, SuperBrawl was booked to be one of WCW's flagship pay-per-views....

.

Gomi became the Shooto world welterweight champion in 2001 after defeating former teammate Rumina Sato

Rumina Sato

is a Japanese mixed martial artist, currently competing in the Shooto organization. Being the first mixed martial artist to beat a black belt Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter by a submission, Sato is considered by many to be an exciting shoot wrestling-based fighter in MMA and has been nicknamed...

by unanimous decision on December 16. Gomi then defeated highly regarded American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

grappler Chris Brennan

Chris Brennan

Chris "The Westside Strangler" Brennan is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division. He was born in Compton, California at the Compton Community Hospital. He was the 3 time King of the Cage Middleweight World Champion where he was at one point the poster boy of that...

on September 16, 2002 via unanimous decision. He also defended the Shooto crown in 2002, beating Dokonjonosuke Mishima

Dokonjonosuke Mishima

known as , also written Dokonjyonosuke Mishima, is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He has competed professionally since 1998 in organizations such as Shooto, DEEP, PRIDE, and the UFC....

by TKO in the second round.

Gomi's first loss was also his last fight in Shooto in six years. It took place on August 10, 2003 at the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium

Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium

is an indoor sports arena, located in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 5,000 people and was opened in 1962.It is a five minute walk from the closest subway station, Kannai Station, on the JR/Yokohama Municipal Subway....

. Gomi lost his title to Norwegian fighter Joachim Hansen

Joachim Hansen (MMA)

Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen is a Norwegian mixed martial artist. He began his career fighting for FinnFight before moving on to fight for Shooto where he became the first Scandinavian person to hold an MMA world title after winning the Shooto World Welterweight Championship in 2003 from Takanori Gomi...

by majority decision. This loss was considered a huge upset at the time due to Hansen's 6–1–1 record in MMA.

Rumble on the Rock

Gomi then fought Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...

veteran, former UFC welterweight

Welterweight (MMA)

The welterweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*The UFC's & Strikeforce's welterweight division, which groups competitors within 156 to 170 lb...

champion, and former UFC lightweight

Lightweight (MMA)

The lightweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:* The UFC & Strikeforce lightweight division with upper limit at 155 lb...

champion B.J. Penn on October 10, 2003 at the Rumble on the Rock 4 event in Honolulu

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...

, Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

. His first fight under unified rules, Gomi was defeated in the third round by rear naked choke

Rear naked choke

The Rear naked choke is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. Depending on the context, the term may refer to one of two variations of the technique, either arm can be used to apply the choke in both cases...

Pride Fighting Championships

After back-to-back losses, Gomi found a new home in Japan's biggest MMA organization, the Pride Fighting Championships. He made his debut within the organization on February 15, 2004 at Pride Bushido 2
PRIDE Bushido 2
Pride Bushido 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on February 15, 2004.- Mu Bae Choi vs. Yusuke Imamura:...

where he fought Jadson Costa of the famed Chute Boxe team out of Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

. 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

Ralph Gracie

Ralph Gracie is a Brazilian martial artist. Like other members of the Gracie family, he competed in mixed martial arts. He is the son of Robson Gracie and brother to Charles Gracie, Renzo Gracie and the late Ryan Gracie, both of whom have competed in various fighting events...

at Pride Bushido 3
PRIDE Bushido 3
Pride Bushido 3 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on May 23, 2004. The fight card was highlighted by three fights between Team Gracie and Team Japan....

. 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.

Gomi remained within the Bushido series, fighting and defeating both Fabio Mello and Charles "Crazy Horse" Bennett in the first round at Pride Bushido 4
PRIDE Bushido 4
Pride Bushido 4 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Nagoya Rainbow Hall in Nagoya, Japan on July 19, 2004. The fight card was highlighted by three fights between the Brazilian Top Team and Team Japan.- Kyosuke Sasaki vs. Eiji...

and Pride Bushido 5
PRIDE Bushido 5
Pride Bushido 5 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan on October 14, 2004...

. 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."

Gomi then appeared at Pride's New Year's Eve show, Pride Shockwave 2004
PRIDE Shockwave 2004
Pride Shockwave 2004 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. The event took place at the Saitama Super Arena on December 31st, 2004...

, against former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver

Jens Pulver

Jens Johnnie Pulver is an American mixed martial artist . He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He was formerly signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting , which is...

. Gomi scored a knockout

Knockout

A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...

with an uppercut at 6:21 in the first round.

Gomi started off 2005 with a win over Luiz Azeredo

Luiz Azeredo

Luiz Azeredo is a Brazilian Welterweight mixed martial artist, fighting out of the Chute Boxe Academy, Curitiba, Brazil. He has fought in the PRIDE and Cage Rage....

at Pride Bushido 7
PRIDE Bushido 7
Pride Bushido 7 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Differ Ariake in Tokyo, Japan on May 22, 2005.- Charles Bennett vs Yoshiro Maeda:...

. 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)

Dream Stage Entertainment

Dream Stage Entertainment was a Japanese company that promoted various wrestling and mixed martial arts events, most notably mixed martial arts Pride Fighting Championship and Hustle professional wrestling events....

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
PRIDE Bushido 7
Pride Bushido 7 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Differ Ariake in Tokyo, Japan on May 22, 2005.- Charles Bennett vs Yoshiro Maeda:...

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

Cage Rage

Cage Rage Championships, also known as Cage Rage, was a United Kingdom-based, mixed martial arts promotion that premiered on 7 September 2002 in London. Cage Rage went bankrupt and is now no longer trading...

champion Jean Silva

Jean Silva

Jean "White Bear" Silva is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He held the Cage Rage lightweight title until he lost it to Vitor Ribeiro via arm triangle choke at Cage Rage 13...

at Pride Bushido 8
PRIDE Bushido 8
Pride Bushido 8 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Nagoya Rainbow Hall in Nagoya, Japan on July 17, 2005...

. 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 Gomi with fellow Japanese fighter and then Shooto world welterweight champion Tatsuya Kawajiri

Tatsuya Kawajiri

Tatsuya Kawajiri is a Japanese mixed martial artist and a former Shooto welterweight champion, currently competing in Dream's lightweight division...

. 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. Many MMA critics had Gomi ranked number one and Kawajiri number two in the lightweight division. 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

Hayato Sakurai

is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He was born in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. He has a professional MMA record of 35-11-2 as of April 5, 2009. Sakurai has been fighting in mixed martial arts since October 1996 and was at one time considered pound for pound one of the greatest fighters...

, at Pride Shockwave 2005
PRIDE Shockwave 2005
Pride Shockwave 2005 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31, 2005. In Japan, the event was called "Otoko Matsuri 2005 – Itadaki"...

. Sakurai and Gomi were teammates at the official Shooto gym back in the late 90's. 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. The KO win helped Gomi earn 2005 Fighter of the Year honors from Sherdog

Sherdog

Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...

, an honor he shared with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

Gomi then made his 2006 debut at Pride Bushido 10
PRIDE Bushido 10
Pride Bushido 10 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan on April 2, 2006...

. 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

Marcus Aurelio

Marcus Aurélio Martins is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He formerly fought for the PRIDE Fighting Championship and for the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

of American Top Team

American Top Team

American Top Team is one of the leading teams in mixed martial arts. It was founded by former members of Brazilian Top Team, Ricardo Liborio, Marcus Silveira and Marcelo Silveira but there is no formal affiliation between the two teams. ATT's main academy is in Coconut Creek, Florida but has...

later that night. Aurelio choked out Gomi within the first round with an arm triangle

Arm triangle choke

Arm triangle choke, side choke, or head and arm choke are generic terms describing blood chokeholds in which the opponent is strangled in between his or her own shoulder and the practitioner's arm. This is as opposed to the regular triangle choke, which denotes a chokehold using the legs, albeit...

. 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 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.

After a few months off while building his Rascal Gym, Gomi made his return to the Pride ring at Pride Bushido 12
PRIDE Bushido 12
-Bushido Rules:* In BUSHIDO fights are two rounds . The first round is ten minutes, and the second round is five minutes. There are no extra rounds. If the fight goes the distance then judges decide on a winner....

against 10–1 French

French people

The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...

fighter David Baron

David Baron (MMA Fighter)

David Baron is a French mixed martial artist and Shooto Middleweight European Champion. He is also a Pride FC and UFC veteran where he fought then lightweight champion Takanori Gomi...

. 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.

Gomi rematched Aurelio at Pride Bushido 13
PRIDE Bushido 13
Pride Bushido 13 also known as Pride Bushido Survival Finals was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships.-Background:This event consisted of the semifinal and final rounds of the Bushido Welterweight Grand Prix....

on November 5, 2006. This time the Pride lightweight championship was on the line. Both fighters were extremely cautious, and many times the referee

Referee

A referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport...

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

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 earned a first round knockout against Mitsuhiro Ishida

Mitsuhiro Ishida

at Pride Shockwave 2006
PRIDE Shockwave 2006
Pride Shockwave 2006 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships on December 31, 2006. In Japan, this event was called...

. 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
PRIDE 33
Pride 33: The Second Coming was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships on February 24, 2007 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...

, Gomi suffered a loss to UFC veteran, Nick Diaz

Nick Díaz

Nicholas Robert Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, WEC and IFC Welterweight Champion. He has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships and Elite Xtreme Combat. Diaz was promoted to black belt in Brazilian...

by way of gogoplata

Gogoplata

A gogoplata is a type of chokehold also called Kagato-Jime in Judo, that is used in grappling and was popularised by practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.-Execution:...

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 contest" after Diaz tested positive for marijuana.

By the end of his Pride tenure, Gomi was 13–1 with 1 NC in Pride.

World Victory Road, back to Shooto and future

After Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, purchased Pride Fighting Championships from Dream Stage Entertainment, Gomi signed on with World Victory Road

World Victory Road

World Victory Road is a defunct Japanese Mixed Martial Arts organization which promoted the Sengoku Raiden Championship in Japan. The organization was formed in 2007 following the purchase of Pride FC by Zuffa. It operated in conjunction with the Japan Mixed Martial Arts Federation...

, and fought in its inaugural event, "Sengoku", where he defeated Duane Ludwig

Duane Ludwig

Duane Paul Ludwig is an American Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He is the former Middleweight Muay Thai world champion, and currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championships in their welterweight and lightweight divisions...

by TKO (cut).

He then fought at World Victory Road

World Victory Road

's "Sengoku IV

World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 4

World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 4 was a mixed martial arts event promoted by World Victory Road. The event took place on August 24, 2008 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama City, Japan...

" on August 24, 2008 against Sung Hwan Pang. Gomi won the contest via Unanimous Decision. Gomi competed on November 1, 2008 where he lost a split decision to Russian fighter Sergey Golyaev

Sergey Golyaev

Sergey Golyaev is an Russian mixed martial artist.-Background:Sergey Golyaev has a Muay Thai and Karate background. He started to be engaged in karate at 14 years old and his Muay Thai experience dates back 9 years....

at Sengoku VI

World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 6

World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 6 was a mixed martial arts-event promoted by World Victory Road. The event took place on November 1, 2008 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama City, Japan...

. It was the Upset of the Year for 2008 according to Sherdog.com. He then fought Satoru Kitaoka

Satoru Kitaoka

, is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He has fought the majority of his career as a welterweight for Pancrase, but moved down to lightweight in 2008 when he joined MMA promoter World Victory Road. Kitaoka is renowned for his submission grappling abilities and is the reigning BJJ and No-Gi Open...

on January 4, 2009 for the Sengoku lightweight championship. Gomi was defeated at 1:41 by achilles lock.

On May 10, 2009, he returned to Shooto

Shooto

at Shooto: Tradition Final where he faced the shooto champion at the time in a non title bout, Takashi Nakakura

Takashi Nakakura

Takashi Nakakura is a Japanese mixed martial artist, and the former Shooto welterweight champion. Nakakura is also a seido kaikan karate and Judo black belt...

. Gomi won via KO in the second round.

His next fight was then set to for Affliction Entertainment

Affliction Entertainment

was an American mixed martial arts promotion company created by Affliction Clothing in 2008. The UFC prohibited its fighters from wearing Affliction clothing after learning Affliction was applying to become an MMA fight promotion. Donald Trump, who owned a significant equity stake in Affliction...

at Affliction: Trilogy
Affliction: Trilogy
Affliction: Trilogy was a mixed martial arts event scheduled to be promoted by Affliction Entertainment on August 1, 2009 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California....

, with his opponent being Rafaello Oliveira

Rafaello Oliveira

Rafaello Oliveira is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He fights at and trains at in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.- Mixed martial arts career :Rafaello started his professional MMA career in 2004, competing in his native Brazil....

, but the event was ultimately canceled.

In October 2009, Gomi fought and defeated Tony Hervey at Shooto's Vale Tudo Japan 2009. Gomi said that the fight would be his last fight in Japan before moving to the US.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On January 1, 2010, it was announced that Gomi had signed with the UFC. Gomi faced Kenny Florian

Kenny Florian

Kenneth Alan Florian is a Peruvian-American mixed martial artist who competes as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, and is known for his cerebral approach to the sport based on his meticulous game plans and...

in his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 21 and was submitted by Florian via Rear Naked Choke in the third round after being dominated by jabs and body shots for two rounds.

Gomi was expected to face Joe Stevenson

Joe Stevenson

Joseph Christopher Stevenson is an American mixed martial artist fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Competing as a welterweight, he won The Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight tournament. Stevenson fought most of his UFC career as a lightweight, and made his featherweight debut at UFC Live: Kongo vs....

on August 1, 2010 at UFC Live on Versus: 2. However, Stevenson suffered an injury while training and was replaced by Tyson Griffin

Tyson Griffin

Tyson Lee Griffin is an American mixed martial artist from Albany, California. Griffin currently fights as a Featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship .-Early life:...

. Gomi defeated Griffin via one punch KO at 1:04 of the first round. Gomi caught Griffin with a left cross following up with a right hook causing Griffin to fall face first into the canvas where Gomi then followed up onto Griffin's back with few short punches before the fight was stopped. He is the first person to have stopped Griffin via knockout as all of Griffin's previous losses have gone to a decision. Gomi also was awarded Knockout Of The Night bonus for his performance.

Gomi faced Clay Guida

Clay Guida

Clayton Charles Guida is an American mixed martial artist and currently fighting in the UFC as a lightweight. Guida was the first Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and held the title until being defeated by Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce: Revenge...

at UFC 125

UFC 125

UFC 125: Resolution was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.-Background:...

. After a very one sided first round, he was defeated by Guida via guillotine choke in the second round.

Gomi faced Nate Diaz on September 24, 2011 at UFC 135

UFC 135

UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 24, 2011 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.-Background:...

where he lost late in the first round by submission due to an armbar.

Gomi is expected to face George Sotiropoulos

George Sotiropoulos

George Sotiropoulos is an Australian mixed martial artist who is currently fighting in the UFC in the lightweight division. He is well known for appearing as a fighter on the TV show The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra, fighting on Team Serra...

on February 26, 2012 at UFC 144

UFC 144

UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson is an upcoming mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event is expected to take place on February 26, 2012 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan....

Submission Wrestling

2nd All Japan Combat Wrestling Championships (69 kg division) 3rd place 1998
5th All Japan Combat Wrestling Championships (69 kg division) 1st place 2001
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
12th All Japan Combat Wrestling Championships (67–74 kg division) 1st place 2007

Mixed martial arts

PRIDE Fighting Championships

PRIDE World Lightweight Champion (1 Time, Only)
PRIDE 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix Champion
PRIDE Shockwave 2005
Pride Shockwave 2005 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31, 2005. In Japan, the event was called "Otoko Matsuri 2005 – Itadaki"...
Holds fastest knockout in Pride, at 6 seconds, at Pride Bushido 3
PRIDE Bushido 3
Pride Bushido 3 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on May 23, 2004. The fight card was highlighted by three fights between Team Gracie and Team Japan....

Sengoku Raiden Championship

Contender for Sengoku Lightweight Championship

Sherdog

Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...

2005 Sherdog Fighter of the Year

Shooto

Shooto Welterweight Championship (2 Times)

Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...

Knockout Of The Night
Bonus Awards
-Background:UFC Bonus Awards are three different kinds of awards usually given to four fighters after a UFC event.Fight of the Night - Award given to the two fighters that fought each other and delivered the "most impressive" fight on the card....

(1 Time)

Mixed martial arts record

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|align=center| 32-8 (1)
|

Nate Diaz
| Submission (armbar)
| UFC 135

UFC 135

UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 24, 2011 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.-Background:...

Denver, Colorado

The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

, U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 32–7 (1)
|

Clay Guida

| Submission (guillotine choke)
| UFC 125

UFC 125

UFC 125: Resolution was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.-Background:...

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 32–6 (1)
|

Tyson Griffin

Tyson Lee Griffin is an American mixed martial artist from Albany, California. Griffin currently fights as a Featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship .-Early life:...

| KO (punch)
| UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko

UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko

UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Sunday, August 1, 2010. Originally scheduled to take place at the EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, the UFC was forced to move the event to a different venue due to low ticket...

San Diego, California

San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

, U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Kenny Florian

| Submission (rear naked choke)
| UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi

UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi

UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi, also referred to as UFC Fight Night 21 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 31, 2010 at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, This was the third time the UFC held an event in Charlotte, but the first since...

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

, U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 31–5 (1)
|

Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 30–5 (1)
|

Takashi Nakakura

Takashi Nakakura is a Japanese mixed martial artist, and the former Shooto welterweight champion. Nakakura is also a seido kaikan karate and Judo black belt...

Satoru Kitaoka

Saitama, Saitama

' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...

, Japan

Japan

Sergey Golyaev

Sherdog

Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...

2008 Upset of the Year
|-
| Win
|align=center| 29–3 (1)
|

Seung Hwang Bang
| Decision (unanimous)
| Sengoku 4
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Saitama, Saitama, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 28–3 (1)
|

Duane Ludwig

| TKO (cut)
| Sengoku 1
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:28
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| NC
|align=center| 27–3 (1)
|

Nick Diaz

Nick Díaz

| NC (overturned by NSAC

Nevada Athletic Commission

The Nevada Athletic Commission regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, mixed martial arts fighters, seconds, ring officials, managers, and matchmakers...

)
| Pride 33

PRIDE 33

Pride 33: The Second Coming was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships on February 24, 2007 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...

Gogoplata

A gogoplata is a type of chokehold also called Kagato-Jime in Judo, that is used in grappling and was popularised by practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.-Execution:...

), result overturned by NSAC

Nevada Athletic Commission

after Diaz tested positive for marijuana.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 27–3
|

Mitsuhiro Ishida

| TKO (strikes)
| Pride Shockwave 2006

PRIDE Shockwave 2006

Pride Shockwave 2006 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships on December 31, 2006. In Japan, this event was called...

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:14
| Saitama, Saitama, Japan
| Non-Title Bout
|-
| Win
|align=center| 26–3
|

Marcus Aurelio

Marcus Aurélio Martins is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He formerly fought for the PRIDE Fighting Championship and for the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

| Decision (split)
| Pride Bushido 13

PRIDE Bushido 13

Pride Bushido 13 also known as Pride Bushido Survival Finals was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships.-Background:This event consisted of the semifinal and final rounds of the Bushido Welterweight Grand Prix....

Japan

| Defended Pride Lightweight (161 lb) Championship
|-
| Win
|align=center| 25–3
|

David Baron

David Baron (MMA Fighter)

David Baron is a French mixed martial artist and Shooto Middleweight European Champion. He is also a Pride FC and UFC veteran where he fought then lightweight champion Takanori Gomi...

| Submission (rear naked choke

Rear naked choke

)
| Pride Bushido 12

PRIDE Bushido 12

-Bushido Rules:* In BUSHIDO fights are two rounds . The first round is ten minutes, and the second round is five minutes. There are no extra rounds. If the fight goes the distance then judges decide on a winner....

Nagoya, Aichi

is the third-largest incorporated city and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan.Located on the Pacific coast in the Chūbu region on central Honshu, it is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and is one of Japan's major ports along with those of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Chiba, and Moji...

, Japan

Japan

Marcus Aurelio

Marcus Aurélio Martins is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He formerly fought for the PRIDE Fighting Championship and for the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

| Technical submission (arm triangle choke

Arm triangle choke

)
| Pride Bushido 10

PRIDE Bushido 10

Pride Bushido 10 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan on April 2, 2006...

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:34
| Tokyo, Japan
| Non-Title Bout
|-
| Win
|align=center| 24–2
|

Hayato Sakurai

| KO (punches)
| Pride Shockwave 2005

PRIDE Shockwave 2005

Pride Shockwave 2005 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31, 2005. In Japan, the event was called "Otoko Matsuri 2005 – Itadaki"...

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:56
| Saitama, Saitama, Japan
| Pride 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix Final. Was awarded Pride Lightweight (161 lb) Championship
|-
| Win
|align=center| 23–2
|

Luiz Azeredo

Luiz Azeredo is a Brazilian Welterweight mixed martial artist, fighting out of the Chute Boxe Academy, Curitiba, Brazil. He has fought in the PRIDE and Cage Rage....

| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride Bushido 9

PRIDE Bushido 9

Pride Bushido 9 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. This event held the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the first ever Welterweight tournament and Lightweight tournament. It took place at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan on September 25, 2005. Under Bushido...

|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 5:00
| Tokyo, Japan
| Pride 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix Semifinals
|-
| Win
|align=center| 22–2
|

Tatsuya Kawajiri

Tatsuya Kawajiri is a Japanese mixed martial artist and a former Shooto welterweight champion, currently competing in Dream's lightweight division...

| Submission (rear naked choke

Rear naked choke

)
| Pride Bushido 9

PRIDE Bushido 9

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 7:42
| Tokyo, Japan
| Pride 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix Quarterfinals. Voted Pride FC Fight of the Year 2005
|-
| Win
|align=center| 21–2
|

Jean Silva

Jean "White Bear" Silva is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He held the Cage Rage lightweight title until he lost it to Vitor Ribeiro via arm triangle choke at Cage Rage 13...

| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride Bushido 8

PRIDE Bushido 8

Pride Bushido 8 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Nagoya Rainbow Hall in Nagoya, Japan on July 17, 2005...

|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 5:00
| Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 20–2
|

Luiz Azeredo

Luiz Azeredo is a Brazilian Welterweight mixed martial artist, fighting out of the Chute Boxe Academy, Curitiba, Brazil. He has fought in the PRIDE and Cage Rage....

| KO (punches)
| Pride Bushido 7

PRIDE Bushido 7

Pride Bushido 7 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Differ Ariake in Tokyo, Japan on May 22, 2005.- Charles Bennett vs Yoshiro Maeda:...

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:46
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 19–2
|

Jens Pulver

| KO (punch)
| Pride Shockwave 2004

PRIDE Shockwave 2004

Pride Shockwave 2004 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. The event took place at the Saitama Super Arena on December 31st, 2004...

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 6:21
| Saitama, Saitama, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 18–2
|

Charles Bennett
| Technical submission (kimura)
| Pride Bushido 5

PRIDE Bushido 5

Pride Bushido 5 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan on October 14, 2004...

Osaka

is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 17–2
|

Fabio Mello
| TKO (strikes)
| Pride Bushido 4

PRIDE Bushido 4

Pride Bushido 4 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Nagoya Rainbow Hall in Nagoya, Japan on July 19, 2004. The fight card was highlighted by three fights between the Brazilian Top Team and Team Japan.- Kyosuke Sasaki vs. Eiji...

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 8:07
| Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 16–2
|

Ralph Gracie

| TKO (knees)
| Pride Bushido 3

PRIDE Bushido 3

Pride Bushido 3 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on May 23, 2004. The fight card was highlighted by three fights between Team Gracie and Team Japan....

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:06
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| Fastest knockout in Pride FC history
|-
| Win
|align=center| 15–2
|

Jadson Costa
| TKO (strikes)
| Pride Bushido 2

PRIDE Bushido 2

Pride Bushido 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on February 15, 2004.- Mu Bae Choi vs. Yusuke Imamura:...

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:55
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 14–2
|

B.J. Penn
| Submission (rear naked choke

Rear naked choke

)
| Rumble on the Rock 4

Rumble on the Rock 4

Rumble on the Rock 4 was an mixed martial arts event held by Rumble on the Rock on October 10, 2003 at Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.-Results: Antonio Banuelos vs. Yobie SongBanuelos defeats Song via TKO in round 3 at 2:39...

Hawaii

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 14–1
|

Dokonjonosuke Mishima

known as , also written Dokonjyonosuke Mishima, is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He has competed professionally since 1998 in organizations such as Shooto, DEEP, PRIDE, and the UFC....

Urayasu, Chiba

is a city located in the far western corner of northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 164,822 and a population density of 9530 persons per km²...

, Japan

Japan

| Defended Shooto World Welterweight (154 lb) Championship
|-
| Win
|align=center| 12–0
|

Chris Brennan

| Decision (unanimous)
| Shooto: Treasure Hunt 10
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| Non-Title Bout
|-
| Win
|align=center| 11–0
|

Leonardo Santos

Leonardo Santos (fighter)

Leonardo Silva dos Santos is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who fights at lightweight. He has fought the likes of Takanori Gomi, Jean Silva and Jason Ball.-Early life and BJJ:...

Sakai, Osaka

is a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the Medieval era.Following the February 2005 annexation of the town of Mihara, from Minamikawachi District, the city has grown further and is now the fourteenth most populous city in...

, Japan

Japan

| Non-Title Bout
|-
| Win
|align=center| 10–0
|

Rumina Sato

| Decision (unanimous)
| Shooto: To The Top Final Act
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Urayasu, Chiba, Japan
| Won Shooto World Welterweight (154 lb) Championship
|-
| Win
|align=center| 9–0
|

Ryan Bow
| Decision (unanimous)
| Shooto: R.E.A.D. 12
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8–0
|

Paul Rodriguez
| Decision (unanimous)
| Shooto: R.E.A.D. 6
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–0
|

Kadoma, Osaka

is a city located in Osaka, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 128,034 and the density of 10,430 persons per km². The total area is 12.28 km²....

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–0
|

Johnny Eduardo
| Submission (rear naked choke

Rear naked choke

)
| Vale Tudo Japan 1999
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 1:43
| Urayasu, Chiba, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–0
|

Takuya Kawabara
| Decision (unanimous)
| Shooto: Renaxis 4
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–0
|

Stephen Palling
| Submission (rear naked choke

Rear naked choke

)
| SuperBrawl 12
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:06
| Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–0
|

Takuya Kuwabara
| Decision (unanimous)
| Shooto: Renaxis 1
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–0
|

Kazumichi Takada
| TKO (punches)
| Shooto: Devilock Fighters
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 3:42
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–0
|

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Biography

Shooto

Rumble on the Rock

Pride Fighting Championships

World Victory Road, back to Shooto and future

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Submission Wrestling

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

See also

External links