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One day I was sitting in my house, contemplating the ever common question “What should I do today?” After minutes of deliberation I decided to watch some old PRIDE fights on YouTube, as I was still green to the Japanese powerhouse that turned out so many amazing fighters. The first fight I came across was Jens Pulver against someone I had never heard of by the name of Takanori Gomi.


I have an appreciation for what Pulver is capable of, so naturally I expected to see some leather being thrown. I didn’t, however, expect it to be from the then-current PRIDE champion. What I witnessed in that fight was enough to catch me in awe. Gomi’s hands blew my mind as they connected high and low, swooping lefts into Pulver’s side and rights to the head. It didn’t stop, and eventually Gomi won not just the victory, but my heart. I had found my favorite fighter.


Highs and lows aside, both in Gomi’s punches and career, he still remains my favorite fighter. Naturally, when I discovered that Takanori Gomi (31-5-0) was signed by the UFC, I literally shouted with excitement. Finally, America could see the man I have followed for years. Finally people would see what I had been ranting about for years. I couldn’t wait to hear who Gomi would get the chance to show all the UFC fans why he was considered, at one time, the best lightweight in the world. All this excitement was soon shot down as I heard Kenny Florian (12-4) took then fight.


We all know what KenFlo is capable of. He’s so well versed in the whole MMA game that if it wasn’t for BJ Penn, Kenny would be number one. I love watching Florian fight and whenever I do, I see him get better and better; a freaky idea. Simply put, I’m scared to death that Gomi will lose. It’s a common thought in the MMA world that Gomi’s time has come and been long gone. I personally believe that there is a truth behind this statement and that pitting Gomi against Florian for his first fight is the worst way to introduce “The Fireball Kid” to the fans.


First, Kenny is amazing against high energy fighters. When he fought Guida and Huerta, we saw Florian bide his time and counter effectively. When Gomi took on Pulver, we saw Pulver’s jab disrupt Gomi many times; something Florian uses all too well. Second, Florian is a CRAZY Jiu-Jitsu player. Outside of the UFC, Kenny has pulled victories in numerous BJJ tournaments. This is considered Gomi’s weak area, losing 3 of 5 to submissions. Taking Gomi’s current slump in performance, one would think that this would be a walk for Florian.


I find comfort in a few facts concerning my boy Gomi. One, he has never been stopped by strikes. Gomi has a great chin and will slug it out to the end.


Secondly, Gomi is wrestling based, so we can expect him to put up a fight if Kenny decides to take him down. Thirdly, Gomi holds power, angles and abidextrosity in his hands that has NEVER been seen by the UFC.


I could go back and forth about these two forever, I respect both of them too much. I am praying that Gomi shows up and gets the victory because this runs deeper than a normal fight for me. Gomi’s record, showmanship and natural ability is so captivating that anyone viewing him in action should be considered lucky, for they are watching one of the most gifted men to ever fight in MMA.

At the tender age of 31, we could be seeing a lot of “The Fireball Kid”, and that’s ok with me.

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