MMA-URLS

Jim Miller and Nate Diaz will meet inside the Octagon this weekend, headlining the stacked UFC on FOX 3 fight card at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The winner of this fight will put himself in pole position for a shot at the UFC Lightweight title, currently held by Ben Henderson. Jim Miller comes to this fight with a record of 21-3, losing only to Ben Henderson, Grey Maynard and Frankie Edgar. Diaz is 15-7, fresh off impressive victories over Takanori Gomi and Donad Cerrone. Here's a

Posted in: takanori gomi, ben henderson, nate diaz, izod center, pole position

Read the full article at Low Kick

When lightweight Nate Diaz enters the Octagon against Jim Miller next month at UFC on FOX 3 he’ll do so with a few new weapons in his arsenal after fulfilling the necessary requirements to earn a blackbelt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from longtime coach Cesar Gracie. Miller is also a blackbelt in the art-form, making for what should be an entertaining ground war come May 5. Diaz’s upgraded status was confirmed on Twitter as well as though a series of revealing photographs on MiddleEasy. Gracie Comments on Diaz’s Status as a Contender The 26-year old’s status as a submission specialist is nothing new considering ten of his fifteen total wins have come by way of tap-out. Among the opponents Diaz has finished inside the Octagon are Marcus Davis, Kurt Pellegrino, Melvin Guillard, and Takanori Gomi. He is coming off a convincing decision win over Donald Cerrone and will likely earn a title-shot if he’s able to get by Miller. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: diaz, takanori gomi, nate diaz, cesar gracie, submission specialist

Read the full article at Fighters.com

A seriously dedicated fan celebrates his man-crush on Nick Diaz by getting his submission over Takanori Gomi tattooed on his chest. Thanks to Middleeasy for the find.

Posted in: nick diaz, nick, takanori gomi, chest, chest thanks

Read the full article at MMA Convert

You call yourself a Nick Diaz fan? Step aside, Jack, as this dedicated soul has gone and one-upped you -- and every other Diaz fan this side of the western hemisphere -- thanks to his new tattoo that honors the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion's 2007 submission win over Takanori Gomi under the PRIDE banner. The victory was eventually overturned and ruled a "no contest" when Diaz tested positive for marijuana. That's because PRIDE 33: "Second Coming" was held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and left its fighters under the scrutiny of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Sound familiar? That means his sensational second round gogoplata over "The Fireball Kid" went up in smoke, but can still be relived through the power of YouTube. And this young man's zeal. Watch a video of said tattoo finding a home (courtesy of Middle Easy) after the jump. Confession time Maniacs ... who has ugly ink and why?

Posted in: diaz, takanori gomi, nevada state, tattoo, marijuana thats

Read the full article at MMA Mania

As you read this, Ronda Rousey and Mr. and Ms. LayzieTheSavage are in the 209 getting ready to train at Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu with the Diaz brothers and film the entire thing exclusively for MiddleEasy. Actually, they took a road trip from Los Angeles to Stockton, California and on the way they all stopped by NeoCell to scoop up a surplus of Collagen Sport supplements. What Ronda Rousey and LayzieTheSavage didn't do is stock up on permanent ink and finely-tuned needles in order to reproduce Nick Diaz submitting Takanori Gomi in Pride 33. Leave that to 2000dwrecked, otherwise known as the greatest Nick Diaz fanboy in the history of fanboys. Sorry LayzieTheSavage, but your card has officially been revoked. Props to Aydden Blayze for the find.

Posted in: diaz, nick, takanori gomi, ronda rousey, layziethesavage

Read the full article at Middle Easy

A little girl walks up to Takanori Gomi, gently filling her small teacup hands with his own tender tools of destruction. "Fireball Kid', she would ask 'Why don't you wrap your hands? Why are these wounds happening? Do they hurt?' To which Gomi replied with a grunt: '子供を聞く、私の手が火の玉を投げる、あなたはそれで混乱することはできません' Which roughly Google translates to: 'Listen Kid, what can I do when my hands throw fireballs?'. It was sound logic. Here's a picture of Gomi's busted up hands that look like they just got through throwing a Hadouken or some **** on Eliji Mitsuoka's face last night. [Source]

Posted in: takanori gomi, gomi, hand, tender tools, teacup hands

Read the full article at Middle Easy

UFC newcomer Eiji Mitsuoka is pretty excited to fight in the Octagon because he loves the cage and being able to throw elbows on the ground. He hopes to test that against Takanori Gomi at UFC 144.

Posted in: ufc, cage, takanori gomi, eiji, mitsuoka

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

In any given fight, Takanori Gomi has the ability to do this to someone's head. If first-round knockouts were unsuccessful feature-length movies created from videogames, Gomi would be the Uwe Boll of MMA. Granted, Rampage was about a guy that makes a full body suit of kevlar and just kills people for two hours which pretty much makes it the greatest movie ever made. It also makes it a biographical piece if Takanori Gomi made a suit of kevlar and visited Newark, New Jersey. Takanori Gomi tweets in English, yet refuses to speak the language in his pre -fight interviews. He does, however, have a suave translator who even nails down the idioms used by Gomi. I only wonder if he can translate phrases like '[Expletive] your life', 'ZUFFA Zombies', 'Bozo MMA analysts' and a variety of other terms that would somehow have [expletive] in them. Nevertheless, watch Takanori Gomi dress up like a homeless ninja and still be infinitely cooler than you in this MMAWeekly clip from the UFC 144 pre-fight press conference media scrum.

Posted in: takanori gomi, gomi, takanori, body suit, featurelength movies

Read the full article at Middle Easy

Takanori Gomi told the press at Gold's Gym in Tokyo, Japan, that facing a new opponent on short notice does not affect him.

Posted in: takanori gomi, gomi, takanori, tokyo japan, golds gym

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

TOKYO -- Watch below as lightweight Takanori Gomi talks about his UFC 144 fight against Eiji Mitsuoka, his return to Japan, the rise and fall of Japanese MMA, the differences between Japanese and American MMA fans and his current losing streak.

Posted in: mma, japanese, takanori gomi, japanese mma, eiji mitsuoka

Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse

The plot has thickened concerning the on again, off again rematch between welterweights Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit, as the Nevada State Athletic Commission has confirmed at least one athlete who fought at UFC 143 tested positive for a banned substance. While nothing has surfaced where specifics are concerned, it has been rumored that Diaz may have been popped for THC, the active drug in marijuana, again as he did once before in Las Vegas five years ago after a bout with Takanori Gomi. However, his status is little more than speculation at this point. What is certain is that details are set to emerge later today in a follow-up email from the NSAC while some remaining tests are done. If Diaz is the fighter in question it might explain his manager/trainer Cesar Gracie’s recent statements saying a rematch with Condit is off despite UFC President Dana White announcing it had been agreed to verbally.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, takanori gomi, las vegas, carlos condit

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

George Sotiropoulos has been forced out of his UFC 144 fight in Japan against Takanori Gomi (pictured). Eiji Mitsuoka has stepped in for him to make his UFC debut.

Posted in: ufc, takanori gomi, gomi, george sotiropoulos, eiji mitsuoka

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

An injury suffered in training has forced lightweight George Sotiropoulos to withdraw from UFC 144, officials announced today. In his place steps newcomer Eiji Mitsuoka, who meets Takanori Gomi on the event's preliminary card. UFC 144 takes place Feb. 25 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event's main card, which features a lightweight title headliner between champ Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson, airs live on pay-per-view. Broadcast plans for the preliminary card have yet to be announced.

Posted in: ufc, takanori gomi, card, george sotiropoulos, saitama japan

Read the full article at MMA Junkie

An injury has forced Georges Sotiropoulos to pull out of a planned match-up with Takanori Gomi at UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson. In place of Sotiropoulos will be Eiji Mitsuoka. Mitsuoka will be making his UFC debut with his precious action primarily occurring in Japan where he racked up a 18-7-2 in his career. Included in those wins are victories over the likes of Rodrigo Damm, Gleison Tibau, and Joachim Hansen. Gomi will be competing in his native country for the first time since 2009, and will be looking to end a two-fight losing skid. Gomi is 32-8 overall but just 1-3 in his four UFC fights. It is unknown at this time what kind of injury Sotiropoulos suffered. MMAWeekly was the first to report the change to the card. UFC 144 features a headlining fight pitting UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar against #1 contender Benson Henderson. The card goes down February 26 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. PHOTO CREDIT – FEG/UFC

Posted in: ufc, takanori gomi, gomi, ufc fights, sotiropoulo

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

George Sotiropolous Out Of UFC 144 According to mmaweekly.com, George Sotiropolous has suffered an injury and has been forced to step away from his fight against Takanori Gomi at UFC 144. Eiji Mitsuoka, a veteran who has fought primarily in Pride and Sengoku, will step into face "The Fireball Kid". More details to follow.

Posted in: takanori gomi, fireball kid, george, george sotiropolous, sotiropolou

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

An injury has forced former 'Ultimate Fighter' competitor George Sotiropoulos out of UFC 144 in Japan. In his place Eiji Mitsuoka will step in and face Takanori Gomi.

Posted in: takanori gomi, gomi, sotiropoulo, eiji mitsuoka, eiji

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

Filed under: UFCLAS VEGAS -- This is the UFC 141 live blog for Donald Cerrone vs. Nate Diaz, a lightweight bout on tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Cerrone (17-3), who is fighting for the fifth time this year, won in UFC fights against Paul Kelly, Vagner Rocha, Charles Oliveira and Dennis Siver. Diaz (14-7) lost to Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald earlier this year before getting back on track with a submission win over Takanori Gomi in September. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC 141 Results | Latest UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: %VIRTUAL-Gallery-142683% Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, takanori gomi, rory macdonald, ufc fights, ufclas vegas

Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse

If you’ve been following MMA for any amount of time you’ve surely heard the talk that Japanese MMA is on the decline. The fighters that have ventured outside of the Japanese circuit have not met with great success as of late.  Fighters such as Yoshihiro Akiyama, Michihiro Omigawa, Shinya Aoki, Kid Yamamoto and Takanori Gomi have all struggled outside of the confines of Japanese MMA. One young fighter has a chance to right that ship, Satoshi Ishii. Ishii, a 25 year old Olympic Gold Medalist

Posted in: takanori gomi, japanese mma, fedor emelianenko, satoshi ishii, japanese circuit

Read the full article at Low Kick

The UFC continued their quest to pay homage to PRIDE and Japanese MMA as a whole late Sunday night with the addition of Takanori Gomi to the organization’s upcoming return to the Land of the Rising Sun after a decade-long absence from one of the sport’s birthplaces. According to an official announcement, Gomi will face 14-4 Aussie George Sotiropoulos on a card already featuring fellow Japanese stars Hatsu Hioki, Yushin Okami, and Yoshihiro Akiyama. UFC 144 Shaping Up to be Something Special “The Fireball Kid” fought under the PRIDE banner fifteen times where he emerged as one of the top lightweights in the world, and became champion, due to wins over the likes of Tatsuya Kawajiri, Hayato Sakurai, and Mitsuhiro Ishida. He has since struggled to find his footing, being submitted in three of his last four fights with the lone victory involving a highlight reel knockout of Tyson Griffin. The 32-8 Gomi’s past struggles against grapplers should be music to Sotiropoulos’ ears with more than half of his overall in-ring success coming by way of submission. The 34-year old had won seven straight, including triumphs over Kurt Pellegrino, Joe Stevenson, and Joe Lauzon, and was on the cusp of a title-shot before falling in his last two bouts. UFC 144 is headlined by Frankie Edgar putting his lightweight championship on the line against Ben Henderson with other match-ups including Akiyama vs. Jake Shields, Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis, and Quinton Jackson vs. Ryan Bader. PHOTO CREDIT – FEG Tweet

Posted in: ufc, japanese, takanori gomi, gomi, pride banner

Read the full article at Fighters.com

After defending the DREAM lightweight title in a submission win over Tatsuya Kawajiri in July of last year, grappling wizard Shinya Aoki will finally defend his title once again when he squares off against former Sengoku lightweight champion Satoru Kitaoka. The bout is scheduled to take place at DREAM’s New Year’s Eve show dubbed Fight for Japan: How are you! New Year! 2011, an event taking place on December 31 at the legendary Saitama Super Arena. Since his win over Kawajiri, Aoki went on to record five consecutive victories, including multiple non-title affairs in Japan and a submission win over Lyle Beerbohm at Strikeforce: Diaz vs Daley in April. The “Submission Magician” has dropped just one of his last ten fights — a decision loss to Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez. Kitaoka is most famous for submitting Takanori Gomi to win the Sengoku lightweight title. He is currently riding a four-fight winning streak and has last competed against Willamy Freire in a bout that ended with a tight split decision win for the Japanese fighter. Also rumored for the card is a fight between Fedor Emelianenko and 2008 Olympic Judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii. PHOTO CREDIT – DREAM/SRC

Posted in: year, takanori gomi, decision loss, willamy freire, lyle beerbohm

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

There has been some speculation about who would be receiving the next shot at Frankie Edgar's lightweight title. At the UFC 136 pre-fight press conference Dana White wouldn't commit to naming a number one contender. It was believed that if Melvin Guillard was victorious that evening, he would receive the next shot. Then there were the rumors that Gilbert Melendez would be brought over to the UFC as an immediate title contender. Again, this hasn't happened. Tonight at the UFC on Fox weigh ins, it was announced that the winner of Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson will be receiving the next shot at the lightweight belt.  Ben Henderson is the former WEC champion and is riding a two fight win streak since making his UFC debut. He put an absolute beating on Mark Bocek and won a one sided decision over Jim Miller. Guida, a former Strikeforce lightweight champion, is on a four fight win streak including names such as Takanori Gomi and Anthony Pettis.  The fight will air on FoxSports.com and Facebook.  SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos

Posted in: ufc, ben, takanori gomi, melvin guillard, guida

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

"We're always out there to put a show on. Have fun first, put a show on for the fans and win. But, if you look at the champions in five out out of the seven weight classes, five of them are wrestlers or have wrestling backgrounds. And I don't think there is too much hate for Cain Velasquez. It didn't sound like it today. Every one loves him, loves St. Pierre. Dominick Cruz, Jon Jones. You know what I mean? Wrestling wins championships. It's about buying into the system. What got these guys here? Wrestling…. Wrestlers can still be exciting. And you're going to see it on Saturday night between me and Ben Henderson, two of the most exciting fighters out there." -- "Sticky" Clay Guida defends his approach to winning fights inside the Octagon, which is rooted in relentless takedowns and constant pressure. He rarely gives his opponents a moment to breath; in fact, his aggressive wrestling and top control wears down opponents and pushes them to the brink of utter exhaustion. It's not always the prettiest strategy to watch, however, as "The Carpenter" suggests, it has proven effective. Guida is currently on a four-fight win streak, during which time he has stopped three opponents -- Shannon Gugerty, Rafael dos Anjos and Takanori Gomi -- via submission. In his most recent win over former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, Guida completely schooled "Showtime" on the ground to earn a spot in a number one division contender eliminator bout against Ben Henderson at UFC on FOX 1 this weekend. Will Guida's wrestling lead him to division champion Frankie Edgar's front doorstep when the dust settles? Perhaps more important, will it be exciting to watch?

Posted in: takanori gomi, clay guida, ben henderson, guida, i dont

Read the full article at MMA Mania

UFC Fight Night 21: Florian vs. Gomi Date: March 31, 2010 Venue: Bojangles Coliseum Location: Charlotte, North Carolina   gate: $590,685 attendance: 7,700 Fighter Awards & Bonuses ($30,000 each) - Knockout of the Night: Kenny Florian - Submission of the Night: Phil Davis - Fight of The Night: Ross Pearson and Dennis Siver   Play-By-Play TV Ratings   Main Bouts (On Spike TV): -Kenny Florian def. Takanori Gomi by submission (rear [...]

Posted in: fight, night, takanori gomi, florian, kenny

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

The UFC’s annual New Year’s Eve Weekend event appears to have had an instant “Fight of the Night” frontrunner added to its lineup in the form of Ultimate Fighter 5 winner Nate Diaz duking it out with the white hot, well-rounded Donald Cerrone. Once officially signed, the match-up will add to a UFC 141 card headlined by former heavyweight champions Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem battling it out with the winner a likely candidate to face whomever holds the belt next month after Cain Velasquez defends his title against Junior dos Santos on FOX. News Cerrone’s clash with Diaz, only verbally agreed to at this point apparently, was first reported by MMAJunkie who said several sources had confirmed the information. Though Diaz is only 9-5 in the Octagon, he has faced some of the best and displayed noticeable improvement in his recent return to the lightweight division where he submitted Takanori Gomi last month in the opening round of their fight at UFC 135. He also holds past wins at 155 pounds over Kurt Pellegrino, Josh Neer, and Melvin Guillard. Diaz Earns $75,000 Bonus for Finish of Japanese Star Cerrone, who fought on the same UFC 137 card as Diaz’s older brother (Nick Diaz) over the weekend where he defeated Dennis Siver in the first frame, will be looking for a rare fifth straight win inside the Octagon during a single year, and fourth in the last six months, when he dances with Diaz on December 30. UFC 141 is also expected to feature Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks and Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, takanori gomi, cerrone

Read the full article at Fighters.com

submitted by BlackManistan [link] [comment]

Posted in: vs, takanori gomi, gomi, nate, takanori

Read the full article at Reddit

As Nate Diaz explains, he wasn't actually too keen on fighting Takanori Gomi at first because "The Fireball Kid" was a sort of hero of his and he has so much respect for the former Pride champion. They did fight him, though, and Diaz absolutely dominated him, utilizing a strong boxing game and slick jiu-jitsu to submit him inside the first round. For a more detailed look at their fight click here and for complete UFC 135: "Jones vs. Rampage" results and coverage click here and here.

Posted in: diaz, takanori gomi, nate diaz, fireball kid, boxing game

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Takanori Gomi was once the most feared lightweight on the planet. That didn't seem to bother Ultimate Fighter season five winner Nate Diaz one bit last night (September 24, 2011) in the opening bout of the UFC 135 main card. Diaz put on a striking clinic against "The Fireball Kid," pounding him with swift straight punches and repeatedly hurting the heavy-handed Japanese lightweight. When Gomi had had enough of the stand-up, Diaz outclassed him on the ground as well, tangling the former Pride champion in his web and finishing the bout via first round armbar. So how did Diaz dominate so handily? And what's next for both fighters? Diaz set the tone for the fight very early, dropping Gomi with the first significant strike he threw. Notice how Gomi puts his entire body into that big right hand which leaves him wide open to big straight left from Diaz. Diaz's reach is also a key factor here. Notice how the Stockton native is able to send Gomi to the canvas while barely having to move out of the way of "The Fireball Kid's" wild right hook. At no point was he even in danger of getting tagged. From this point on, Diaz had tremendous confidence in his strikes. He would continue to pepper his Japanese foe's face with right and left hands, using a style eerily similar to his brother, Nick. The pride of the 209 began to clown Gomi, all-the-while finding a home for repeated 1-2 combinations. As Gomi began to wilt under the repeated blows of his American opponent, he resorted to his wrestling roots, anything to stop getting punched in the face, but this may have been an even worse decision. Once Gomi took Diaz down, the Cesar Gracie fighter immediately began attacking from his guard, eventually locking in a triangle choke. Gomi tried to slam out of it to no avail. Instead, he left his arm isolated, which Diaz immediately straightened out and transitioned for an armbar. Unlike Mark Hunt, he quickly puts his right leg directly over Gomi's face to create the best leverage and then pushes up with his hips to put a ton of pressure on Gomi's exposed arm. Gomi is forced to either tap or have his arm snapped. For Takanori Gomi, this was the perfect example of everything he's done wrong in the last few years of his mixed martial arts career. He used to be much more well-rounded but ever since he discovered that knockout power, he's really lost much of his technique. He throws his whole body into his punches which not only telegraphs them, but leaves him wide open for counters. This is also the third time he's been submitted in his four UFC appearances. With a 1-3 record in the UFC, Gomi is almost certainly a goner. The only reason the promotion would keep him around is to parade him around for the upcoming event in Japan in February of 2012. Even then, Gomi's skills have degraded to the point where there aren't many UFC caliber fighters he could even have a chance of beating.  For Nate Diaz, he's got to be happy after dropping back down to 155. He got manhandled by two of the strongest welterweights in his last two fights but that won't be happening at lightweight. This was the best performance of his career. He dominated every aspect of this fight, even when Gomi took him down he wasn't at a disadvantage because he was immediately in attack mode. About the only opportunity his opponent had to feel comfortable when he was in the Octagon was the pre-fight introduction.  Expect Diaz to immediately be thrown into the mix of top 25 lightweights. It would be interesting to see him against someone like Evan Dunham. Another interesting opponent would be the winner of the upcoming Matt Wiman vs. Mac Danzig fight. Sean Sherk is apparently looking for an opponent as well and that could be a terrific test to see how he would fare against the top wrestlers of the division. Regardless of who he faces next, Nate Diaz has found a new home in the lightweight division. So what do you think Maniacs? Can a now more experienced Nate Diaz make a big splash in the crowded 155-pound division? Is Takanori Gomi done in the UFC? Sound off! For complete UFC 135 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire pay-per-view (PPV) event, click here and here All gifs by Zombie Prophet via IronForgesIron.com.    

Posted in: ufc, diaz, takanori gomi, gomi, nate diaz

Read the full article at MMA Mania

His last win was over Diego "nobody" Nunes, before that it was against Takanori Gomi, who I think we can all agree should be near his way out of the UFC. His last legitimate victory was against Guida in 2009. IMO Jose Aldo is just too raw for Florian to handle. Ken Flo is methodical and careful, Jose is like a tornado of fists and knees that are on fire. submitted by PinkySlayer [link] [2 comments]

Posted in: jose, takanori gomi, ken flo, jose aldo, kenny florian

Read the full article at Reddit

Lightweight contender Nate Diaz, who secured a first-round submission victory over Takanori Gomi at UFC 135, expresses his admiration for "The Fireball Kid," and talks about transitioning between 155 and 170-pounds. Also a topic of discussion for Diaz is Welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre, who he says "dodged a bullet" by not having to fight his brother, Nick.

Posted in: diaz, takanori gomi, nate diaz, takanori, fireball kid

Read the full article at Low Kick

You could almost say Nate Diaz followed in big brother Nick's footsteps at UFC 135 on Saturday night, submitting Takanori Gomi at UFC 135 in Denver.

Posted in: ufc, saturday night, takanori gomi, nate diaz, brother nick

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

Megan Olivi catches up with Nate Diaz to discuss the best performance of his career in his win over Takanori Gomi.

Posted in: diaz, takanori gomi, nate diaz, fight day, megan olivi

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

If there's a third Diaz brother somewhere out there, chances are Takanori Gomi wants no part of him.

Posted in: diaz, takanori gomi, gomi, nate diaz, diaz brother

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

Nate Diaz dominated Takanori Gomi from the opening bell to start UFC 135′s pay-per-view main card before finishing the former PRIDE champion with an armbar late in the opening round to highlight his return to the lightweight division. MMAFrenzy.com’s play-by-play of Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi is below: Round 1- Fighters both take time to feel each other out before Diaz catches Gomi but Gomi recovers. Neither fighter is cutting the ring. Gomi lands a tough body shot but Diaz retaliates with a nice right hook. Diaz is getting confident and begins to taunt the more tentative Gomi. Diaz rocks Gomi but Gomi recovers. Gomi shoots but Diaz reverses and takes Gomi’s back. Fighters work back to their feet and Diaz begins to tee off before Gomi takes him down with a body lock. Diaz sinks in a deep triangle and as Gomi is going out he switches to an armbar for a quick tap at 4:27. Best performance of Nate’s career by far. Nate Diaz def. Takanori Gomi via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 4:27 MORE: UFC 135 Results and Play-by-Play for “Jones vs. Rampage”

Posted in: diaz, takanori gomi, gomi, nate, nate diaz

Read the full article at MMA Frenzy

Filed under: UFC, News, VideosDENVER -- Nate Diaz spoke to the press following his UFC 135 submission win over Takanori Gomi about how much respect he has for Gomi, returning to lightweight, what's next for him and much more.  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: takanori gomi, gomi, nate diaz, nbsp ;permalink, fight gomi

Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse

Four years after his brother defeated "The Fireball Kid," Nate Diaz did the same to kick off the UFC 135 main card.

Posted in: diaz, takanori gomi, nate, nate diaz, fireball kid

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

The UFC 135: "Jones vs. Rampage" pay-per-view broadcast kicked off tonight (Sept. 24, 2011) with a grudge match pitting Nate Diaz against the man his brother submitted with a gogoplata four years ago, Takanori Gomi. Lightning hardly ever strikes in the same place twice but the Pepsi Center was a good a candidate as any. Diaz finished what his brother started in Las Vegas by submitting Gomi with an armbar in the very first round. Simply put, this looked and felt like a mismatch from jump street. Joe Rogan called this the best performance of Diaz's young career in his return to the 155-pound division. You'll find no argument here. The fight opened the way one would assume a fight between these two striking specialists would. Both men were winging heavy punches with big power and bad intentions. Diaz peppered Gomi throughout, while "The Fireball Kid" did what he could to find his range against the lanky slugger from Stockton. Diaz's reach was simply too much to overcome. The only other option was to take the fight to the mat and even that didn't work out for the former Pride champion. Once Diaz was taken down, he went to work with the same jiu-jitsu chops his brother used to submit Gomi four years ago. Let's hope this one doesn't get overturned. For more UFC 135 results and instant analysis live from Denver click here. To check out MMAmania.com's LIVE UFC 135 results post, which includes up-to-the-minute, blow-by-blow coverage of EVERY fight click here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, takanori gomi, gomi, nate diaz

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Filed under: UFCIn a 2007 Pride fight, Nick Diaz established himself as one of the rising stars in mixed martial arts by beating the great lightweight champion Takanori Gomi. On Saturday night in Denver, it was Nick's little brother Nate Diaz who put on a great performance against Gomi, winning a first-round submission at UFC 135. The Gomi of today isn't the same fighter as the Gomi of 2007, and so Nate Diaz's victory on Saturday isn't as significant as Nick Diaz's victory of the Pride days. But Nate Diaz looked as good as he's ever looked on Saturday night. "I'm happy to get the win," Diaz said afterward. "He's dangerous. Takanori Gomi was a Pride champion for years and years -- he was one of my favorite fighters forever, and still is." The victory improved Diaz's record to 14-7, and he showed after struggling in his last couple of fights at welterweight that he's a real force at lightweight. As for Gomi, he was a legend of the Pride days, but he doesn't have a whole lot left. Gomi is 32-8 in his MMA career, but he's just 1-3 since signing with the UFC. His best days are behind him, while Diaz's best days are ahead of him. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: saturday night, diaz, day, takanori gomi, gomi

Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse

Filed under: UFCDENVER -- This is the UFC 135 live blog for Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi, a lightweight bout on tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the Pepsi Center. Diaz (13-7) has lost two straight fights, dropping decisions to Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald. Gomi (32-7) suffered a loss via submission to Clay Guida at UFC 125 in January. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC 135 Results | Latest UFC 135 News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, round, takanori gomi, rory macdonald, clay guida

Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse

Sometimes these storylines just write themselves. When Nate Diaz and Takanori Gomi lock up later on this evening (Sept. 24, 2011) at the UFC 135: "Jones vs. Rampage" event at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, it will be the second time Gomi has went head on with a member of the Diaz family. The first time he did so produced explosive results. It was 2007 and the fall of Pride was just around the corner. The promotion held an event in Las Vegas, Nevada, and booked Gomi, who was the lightweight champion, to throw leather with controversial bad boy Nick Diaz. Despite a size advantage, "The Fireball Kid" blasted his counterpart with power shots that rocked and knocked down his foe. But he failed to finish the job and only seemed to fade as Diaz regained his footing and came storming back. This all occurred in the first round, mind you. To buy time and attempt to even things up again, Gomi took Diaz down early in the second frame, a fateful mistake that proved to be his undoing. Indeed, Diaz locked in the rarely seen gogoplata submission and quickly forced a tap. That wasn't the end of the story, however. After the bout, Diaz tested positive for marijuana and the Nevada State Athletic Commission overturned the result of the fight to a no contest. It was an unfortunate ending to an incredible battle waged by two elite fighters at the top of their games. And it left an air of unfinished business, despite the incredible result. The likelihood that Nick would ever get another shot at Takanori was slim to none and they would go their separate ways, leaving their classic battle to the history books. Once Gomi signed with the UFC, though, there was an outside chance that he could meet up with Nick's brother, Nate, at some point down the road. As luck and good timing would have it, both men have dropped two of their last three fights. After a four-fight stint in the welterweight division, where he struggled mightily, it made entirely too much sense for Diaz to come back down to the land of the lightweights to renew an old rivalry with a common family enemy. Let's hope these two wage war with the same fervor as Gomi and Nick did back in 2007. If the staredown at the weigh-ins is any indication, we're in for a doozy.

Posted in: diaz, nick, takanori gomi, gomi, nate

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Nate Diaz made a bold statement for the UFC Lightweight title shot contendership, with an impressive victory over the veteran Takanori Gomi at UFC 135 main card opener. Diaz controlled the action from the very first seconds of the fight, punishing Gomi with razor-sharp jabs. The Fireball Kid tried to respond with a wild overhand right, but got punished by Diaz each and every time. Nate Diaz continued to drop bombs on Takanori Gomi, who I have to admit showed an amazing survival skills in this fight, looked

Posted in: diaz, takanori gomi, gomi, nate diaz, drop bombs

Read the full article at Low Kick

UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage play-by-play of Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi on Saturday, Sept. 24, in Denver.

Posted in: ufc, vs, takanori gomi, gomi, takanori

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

The expectations for tomorrow night’s title-fight between champion Jon Jones and hard-hitting superstar Quinton “Rampage” Jackson match the elevation of the city the bout will be held in, Denver, and for good reason given both fighters’ accomplishments in MMA. Before Jackson and Jones round the final bend towards golden glory and a chance to settle their personal differences at UFC 135 both will have to step on the scale and make weight later today at 6:00 PM EST. Joining them will be Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck, Takanori Gomi, Nate Diaz, and the rest of the evening’s scheduled competitors. As always, Five Ounces of Pain will be tuned in and ready to bring you live figures from the stage as they unfold in real time. Read below for a full rundown of UFC 135 weigh-in results: Ricardo Romero ( lbs) vs. James Te Huna ( lbs) Junior Assuncao ( lbs) vs. Eddie Yagin ( lbs) Cole Escovedo ( lbs) vs. Takeya Mizugaki ( lbs) Tim Boetsch ( lbs) vs. Nick Ring ( lbs) Tony Ferguson ( lbs) vs. Aaron Riley ( lbs) Travis Browne ( lbs) vs. Rob Broughton ( lbs) Ben Rothwell ( lbs) vs. Mark Hunt ( lbs) Nate Diaz ( lbs) vs. Takanori Gomi ( lbs) Matt Hughes ( lbs) vs. Josh Koscheck ( lbs) Jon Jones ( lbs) vs. Quinton Jackson ( lbs) PHOTO CREDIT – UFCSimilar Posts: UFC 135 Breakdown: The Undercard Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi scheduled for September UFC 130 gets greenlight as all fighters make weight TUF 13 winner Tony Ferguson dips to lightweight to join UFC 135 lineup Takeya Mizugaki and Cole Escovedo to meet in Mile High match-up Tweetgovernment,politics news,politics news,politics

Posted in: ufc, vs, takanori gomi, lb, cole escovedo

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

Another salivating by-product of UFC matchmaker Joe Silva's seething cauldron is the UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage lightweight match up of Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi. Diaz seems happy to cast aside his silky grappling in order to be aligned with a fellow gunslinger willing to stand up with him and empty the six-shooters until someone falls over. His wish is granted with Takanori Gomi. Shattering the Japanese stereotype, Gomi is a thunderous boxer with sound wrestling skills and arguably the heaviest handed lightweight in MMA history. After the UFC shut down their 155-pound division and the talent migrated overseas, "The Fireball Kid" emerged as the sport's elite lightweight after a storybook series of knockouts in Pride Fighting Championships. After a crippling defeat to B.J. Penn in Hawaii, "The Prodigy" proceeded to gallivant around in higher weight classes, abandoning the lightweight throne where Takanori Gomi would eventually take a seat. Setting up shop in the then-soaring Pride organization, Gomi drilled through ten consecutive adversaries with highlight reel panache to assume the mantle. Gomi finished eight of those ten opponents in the first round (six knockouts and two submissions), isolating himself atop the heap by crushing the number two and three world ranked lightweights in Tatsuya Kawajiri (rear-naked choke) and Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (KO) along with former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver (KO). His susceptibility to submissions was initially cloaked by his searing wrestle-boxing style, but later came to the forefront in a big way. The first sign was an arm-triangle loss to black belt Marcus Aurelio that snapped his win-streak, but the malady was somewhat salved in his following wins over Aurelio in the rematch, David Baron (eleven career sub-wins including Sakurai and Dan Hardy) and dominant wrestler Mitsuhiro Ishida. Gomi's turbulent downfall was triggered by his upset loss to Nate Diaz's older brother, Nick, in an epic and mutual massacre. Then, Pride was sold, Gomi went two and two in Sengoku and faded into obscurity. Saturday marks the prime opportunity for a reappearance of "the old Gomi" against Nate Diaz. Gifs and analysis in the full entry. Just as we were penciling Gomi in as another incomplete and over-hyped Pride fighter, he brought the apocalypse. Carelessly hanging out in the slugger's wheelhouse, Tyson Griffin was reminded of the one-shot power that put Gomi on the map. Though he's struggled with footwork and distance, Gomi proved his devastating presence inside the pocket was still afire. His overhand left is one of the best in the business, but his favorite follow up -- the right hook -- was what vanquished Griffin. Exhibiting behavior typically associated with uncoordinated teenage dancing at an all night rave, Clay Guida shucked and jived while assaulting Gomi from all angles with strikes and takedown attempts. Hitting a nice sprawl early, Gomi seemed unfazed by the whirling spectacle of curly locks and leather, but couldn't get out of defensive mode and eventually succumbed to a guillotine choke. Gomi's sprawl, (flying) knees and uppercuts have been proven takedown repellants. He uses his short, upward knee to the right when Guida charges in with his head down, but the result shows exactly why that choice is such a high-risk maneuver. This type of knee was, however, the way Gomi earned Pride FC's record for fastest knockout with a six-second snuffing of the aggressively shooting Ralph Gracie. Against the lanky Nate Diaz, Gomi will be tasked with deflecting an absurd amount of unorthodox strikes to assume his preferred range in the pocket. Despite spending most of the fight getting his head bounced back by long, stiff jabs, Gomi had a small assortment of encouraging sequences against Kenny Florian. Again, we see the distance factor here, as Gomi was a stationary target from outside but transferred his massive power well at close range. With his right hook, which is almost like a shovel punch here, Gomi adjusts for the distance by unrolling it from his waist and extending it outward. Gomi had a well earned reputation for going to the body and this was his preferred weapon to do so. Gomi's left hand lands almost immediately after his right connects. Take a second to time how quickly the left makes contact -- with plenty of heft -- after the right connects on Florian. For Nate Diaz, this fight has two divergent angles: the obvious sizzle of replicating his brother's historic clash with Gomi, yet Nate is also coming off the most convincing, one-sided defeat of his UFC career to Rory MacDonald. The sport vs. entertainment debacle rears its ugly head as Diaz's unquestionable advantage lies on the ground, but avoiding a standing brawl is just very un-Diaz. Marcus Davis, a brick-fisted southpaw boxer just like Gomi, is a nice frame of reference. Capitalizing on his condor-like wingspan was critical against Davis just as it will be versus Gomi. In the later rounds, Diaz found his range and pinged telephone-pole punches through Davis' defense. Timing his footwork and head movement to penetrate inside and pepper with strikes was what propelled Diaz to victory. In the animations above and to the left, Diaz is liquid-like in slipping punches while pelting with his high volume boxing. Things get interesting when we recall the trouble that Davis presented with his jabs and overhand left early in the fight. The pivotal change was that Diaz began by marching straight ahead while looping wide hooks -- which Davis neatly countered with tight, on-balance combinations -- but adjusted to setting up his advances with baiting punches. Once Diaz got Davis in motion, he was able to create angles and target openings with a very deliberate in and out strategy. Whenever Diaz took the primitive approach of walking forward and swinging, he was tagged consistently by Davis' textbook boxing. In these last two examples, we see Davis emulating what Takanori Gomi specializes in. He lays back, poised and ready to spring, countering Diaz's first strike with his overhand left and right jabs and hooks. If you were to create the perfect opponent for Gomi, that's what he would do. The downfall of the unusual striking of the Diaz brothers is that they have a tendency to plant their feet and absorb wayward blows in the pocket while volume-punching. Regardless if he's old, decrepit, or even past his prime, Takanori Gomi will still prey on that mentality. It's the same scenario from which he clocked Nick Diaz with the infamous Hadouken Punch in Pride (right). I'm guessing, with his back against the wall and fresh off a humiliating defeat, Nate Diaz will be too smart. In modern day MMA, it's just too hard for a limited fighter to survive at the top level. I didn't even take the time to discuss Nate's highly under-rated Judo in the clinch or his ultra-technical grappling game. Even if a significant portion of Nate Diaz's style plays into Gomi's hands, his chin is as solid as they come and there's an entire universe of alternatives he can exercise beyond trading on the feet. I really don't want to see either of these exciting fighters lose. Normally I would pick either by sheer fanboy default. The hard steer for Diaz on the betting lines is pretty accurate, as Gomi's chances boil down to that of a puncher ... but even in that facet, he hasn't looked the sharpest. Throwing all logic and reason aside, I have to throw out a prayer for Takanori Gomi to overcome the odds and actualize the impossible. I'm not ready to let go. As a highly revered wise man once said: "It's still real to me, dammit!" My Prediction: Takanori Gomi by TKO     Guida vs. Gomi gifs via Zombie Prophet of IronForgesIron.com Davis vs. Diaz gifs via Chris Nelson for BloodyElbow.com Poll Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi Nate Diaz Takanori Gomi   3 votes | Results

Posted in: diaz, takanori gomi, gomi, nate, takanori

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Before Nate Diaz and Takanori Gomi go head-to-head in the Octagon, our writers go toe-to-toe in their analysis of this lightweight fight.

Posted in: ufc, fight, takanori gomi, gomi, nate diaz

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

submitted by valetodo [link] [be commentin']

Posted in: nick diaz, valetodo, brother nate, takanori gomi, gomi

Read the full article at Reddit