Takanori Gomi

Takanori Gomi
Takanori Gomi
Born	Template:Birth year and age; Kanagawa, Japan
Occupation	Mixed martial artist
Years active	1998–present
Known for	Pride Fighting Championships Lightweight Champion, Shooto Lightweight Champion, UFC competitor

is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist recognized worldwide for his achievements in Pride Fighting Championships and subsequently the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He remains the sole holder of the Pride FC Lightweight Championship title and triumphed in the Lightweight Grand Prix at Pride Shockwave 2005, thereby capturing every lightweight accolade available within Pride FC. Additionally, he maintained an impressive twelve-fight winning streak in Shooto, where he previously held the Shooto Lightweight Championship, and earned four titles as All-Japan Combat Wrestling Champion.

Known by the moniker "The Fireball Kid", Gomi established a ten-fight winning streak in Pride FC from 2004 to 2006, marking the longest such streak in the promotion’s history. He also set the record for the quickest knockout in Pride FC by defeating Ralph Gracie in just six seconds. His notable victories over opponents such as Tatsuya Kawajiri—in what was named Pride FC's Fight of the Year—Luiz Azeredo, and Hayato Sakurai paved the way for his 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix victory and subsequent acquisition of the Pride FC Lightweight title. He successfully defended this championship against Marcus Aurélio at Pride Bushido 13.

Throughout his tenure as champion in both Pride FC and Shooto, Gomi was widely regarded as one of the premier lightweight fighters globally and continues to be esteemed as one of the all-time greats in lightweight mixed martial arts competition.

Biography

Born in Kanagawa, Japan, in 1978, Gomi began his athletic journey with boxing at Sagamihara Yonekura Gym during his junior high years in 1994. An accomplished baseball pitcher, he left high school in 1996 after failing to progress academically, which led to a strained relationship with his father. Subsequently, he pursued training in both freestyle wrestling and catch wrestling at Kiguchi Dojo, where he secured four All-Japan Combat Wrestling titles and defeated elite grapplers including future adversary Mitsuhiro Ishida.

Mixed martial arts career

Shooto

Gomi became affiliated with the Shooto gym in 1997 and made his professional debut on November 27, 1998, winning by decision. He amassed a fourteen-fight winning streak primarily within Shooto but also fought in events such as Vale Tudo Japan and Hawaii’s SuperBrawl. In 2001, he claimed the Shooto World Lightweight Championship by overcoming Rumina Sato. He successfully defended this title against challengers like Chris Brennan and Dokonjonosuke Mishima, before unexpectedly losing it to Joachim Hansen in 2003.

Rumble on the Rock

On October 10, 2003, Gomi faced former UFC champion B.J. Penn at Rumble on the Rock 4 under unified rules but was defeated via rear-naked choke submission in the third round.

Pride Fighting Championships

Gomi’s Pride debut occurred on February 15, 2004, where he secured a first-round TKO victory over Jadyson Costa. He quickly gained prominence with a six-second knockout of undefeated competitor Ralph Gracie at Pride Bushido 3, marking the fastest finish in Pride history. Further wins against Fábio Mello and Charles "Crazy Horse" Bennett demonstrated his versatile skill set.

At Pride Shockwave 2004, Gomi knocked out former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver. In 2005, he defeated Luiz Azeredo at Pride Bushido 7, although he attracted criticism for continuing to strike after Azeredo had lost consciousness. Following that bout, Gomi earned a unanimous decision win over Jean Silva at Pride Bushido 8.

In September 2005, Gomi entered Pride’s eight-man Lightweight tournament. He submitted Tatsuya Kawajiri and again defeated Luiz Azeredo to advance to the finals. At Pride Shockwave 2005, he knocked out teammate Hayato Sakurai, securing the Lightweight Grand Prix championship and sharing Sherdog’s Fighter of the Year honors with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

Although crowned Pride Lightweight Champion due to his Grand Prix victory in 2006, Gomi lost a non-title fight to Marcus Aurelio via arm triangle choke but rebounded later that year by submitting David Baron and defending his championship against Aurelio through a split decision at Pride Bushido 13. He also achieved a first-round knockout over Mitsuhiro Ishida at Pride Shockwave 2006.

At Pride 33, Gomi was submitted by UFC veteran Nick Diaz via gogoplata; however, this result was later overturned to a no contest by the Nevada State Athletic Commission following Diaz’s positive marijuana test.

By the conclusion of his time with Pride, Gomi amassed a record of thirteen wins, one loss, and one no contest.

World Victory Road, Shooto comeback, and outlook

Following the acquisition of Pride Fighting Championships by Zuffa, the UFC's parent organization, Gomi signed with World Victory Road. He made his debut at the promotion’s first "Sengoku" event, securing a TKO victory over Duane Ludwig due to a cut. At Sengoku 4, Gomi earned a unanimous decision win against Sung Hwan Pang but subsequently suffered a split decision defeat to Sergey Golyaev at Sengoku VI, a result considered an upset by Sherdog.com. In January 2009, Gomi challenged Satoru Kitaoka for the Sengoku lightweight championship but was submitted via Achilles lock.

Gomi returned to Shooto in May 2009 at Shooto: Tradition Final, where he knocked out then-titleholder Takashi Nakakura in the second round during a non-title contest. He was slated to face Rafaello Oliveira at Affliction: Trilogy, but the event was ultimately canceled. Later that year, in October, Gomi defeated Tony Hervey at Shooto’s Vale Tudo Japan 2009 event, announcing this bout as his final fight in Japan before relocating to the United States.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Gomi inked a deal with the UFC on January 1, 2010. His first UFC appearance came against Kenny Florian at UFC Fight Night 21, where he was outstruck over two rounds and lost by submission in the third round. Initially set to face Joe Stevenson at UFC Live on Versus 2, Stevenson withdrew due to injury and was replaced by Tyson Griffin. Gomi knocked out Griffin in just over a minute, earning the Knockout of the Night award and becoming the first fighter to stop Griffin by KO.

At UFC 125, Gomi was submitted by Clay Guida in the second round. He then faced Nate Diaz at UFC 135, losing via first-round armbar submission. Though scheduled to meet George Sotiropoulos at UFC 144, Gomi instead defeated Eiji Mitsuoka by second-round TKO after Sotiropoulos pulled out with an injury.

Gomi claimed a split decision victory over Mac Danzig at UFC on Fuel TV 6, demonstrating enhanced stamina and improved takedown defense. However, at UFC on Fuel TV 8, he fell to Diego Sanchez via a disputed split decision; media outlets unanimously scored the fight for Gomi, and even UFC President Dana White questioned the outcome.

At UFC 172, Gomi earned his second Fight of the Night bonus after winning a unanimous decision against Isaac Vallie-Flagg. He then experienced his first knockout defeat versus Myles Jury at UFC Fight Night 52. Subsequent bouts resulted in first-round TKO losses against Joe Lauzon (UFC on Fox 16), Jim Miller (UFC 200), Jon Tuck (UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Correia), and Dong Hyun Kim (UFC Fight Night: Saint Preux vs. Okami).

On October 23, 2017, Gomi was released from the UFC roster with an overall record of four wins and nine losses inside the promotion. Notably, his last five fights ended with him being stopped in the opening round.

Rizin Fighting Federation

After more than seven years away from Japanese promotions, Gomi returned to face Yuzuke Yachi on December 31, 2017, at 2017 in Rizin Fighting Federation#Rizin World Grand Prix 2017: Final Round. He was defeated via submission in the first round.

At Rizin 11, Gomi squared off against former UFC competitor Melvin Guillard and secured a knockout victory less than three minutes into the opening round—his first win in over four years.

Boxing and kickboxing

Gomi made his kickboxing debut in an exhibition match against Masato at KYOKUGEN 2016 on December 31, 2016. The bout lasted the full duration, concluding without an official victor.

During Rizin 26, Gomi competed against Kouzi under special regulations that prohibited grappling and kicking; both combatants donned 12oz gloves. Competing at a 75 kg weight limit, Gomi secured a majority decision win over Kouzi, who weighed in at 65 kg.

On December 31, 2021, Gomi went up against Tenshin Nasukawa in a two-round exhibition boxing contest held at Rizin 33 - Saitama. The match concluded without a decision as the allotted time expired without a stoppage.

Fighting style

Among Japanese mixed martial artists, Gomi stood out for his sprawl-and-brawl approach. He effectively combined robust takedown defense with aggressive striking, earning the moniker "Fireball Kid" due to his powerful punches and significant knockouts. Switching between orthodox and southpaw stances, he frequently utilized a left straight and a feared overhand right, often leveraging clinch work to set up his strikes. On the mat, Gomi preferred employing ground-and-pound techniques rather than pursuing submissions.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Pride Fighting Championships
- Pride Lightweight Championship (One reign) with one successful title defense
- Winner of the Pride 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix
- Recorded the most successful and consecutive title defenses in the Lightweight division
- The sole Pride World Lightweight Champion to also claim the Grand Prix in Pride FC Lightweight history
- One of only four fighters to capture both a Pride Championship and Grand Prix title
- Held the longest winning streak in Pride FC history (Ten fights)
- Achieved the fastest knockout in Pride FC history (0:06 seconds)
- Earned Fight of the Year honors (2005) versus Tatsuya Kawajiri
Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Received Fight of the Night twice against Mac Danzig and Isaac Vallie-Flagg
- Awarded Knockout Of The Night once for victory over Tyson Griffin
- Among a select group of Pride World Champions and Grand Prix Champions to compete in UFC
- UFC.com Awards
  - 2010: Ranked #10 Knockout of the Year for his finish against Tyson Griffin
Professional Shooto Japan
- Held the Shooto Lightweight Championship once with one successful title defense
- Set the record for longest winning streak in Shooto history (12 fights)
Sherdog Awards
- Inducted into the Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame
- Named Fighter of the Year (2005)
MMAFighting
- Lightweight Fighter of the Year for 2004 and 2005; runner-up in 2006
- Knockout of the Year (2005) for his win over Luiz Azeredo
Fight Matrix
- Awarded Fighter of the Year (2005)

Submission Wrestling

Combat Wrestling
- Four-time champion of the All-Japan Combat Wrestling tournament

Mixed martial arts record

Submission grappling record

Result	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Round	Time
Loss	Sean O'Malley	Submission (guillotine choke)	Quintet Ultra	2019	1	2:47
Loss	Arawa Hosokawa	Points	Professional Jiu Ground Impact	2015	1
Win	Sanshiro Nakakura	Points	ADCC ASIA TRIAL 2011 –77 kg	2011
Win	Hikarishi Matsumoto	Points	ADCC ASIA TRIAL 2011 –77 kg	2011
Win	Tetsuya Yamada	Points	ADCC ASIA TRIAL 2011 –77 kg	2011
Win	Ryunosuke Yamamoto	Points	ADCC ASIA TRIAL 2011 –77 kg	2011
Loss	Shane Roller	Submission (rear naked choke)	UFC Fan Expo	2010	1
Win	Caol Uno	Decision	The CONTENDERS 6	2001	3
Win	Yuji Hoshino	Decision	The CONTENDERS Millennium-1	2001	2
Loss	Matt Serra	Submission (rear naked choke)	ADCC 2001 –77 kg	2001	1
Loss	Yasushi Miyake	Decision	The CONTENDERS 2	1999	2

External links

Pride profile