If you don’t give it up for The Fireball Kid, everyone will know you’re not a real MMA fan.
I’m exaggerating a little bit, for comedic effect. But no embellishment needed on this statement: Takanori Gomi is one of the best MMA lightweights of all time.
Back when so many modern fans were in the short pants, Gomi was becoming the first (and, it turned out, only) lightweight champion in a little organization known as Pride. He also held that title in Shooto. And he did it because of his hard-hitting, hard-chinned style, which netted him 13 wins by way of knockout in a 35-10 (1) record.
Now, though, the 36-year-old Gomi is fading. He entered the UFC at the age of 31 and has amassed a 4-5 record since that time. This Saturday, he’s a substantial underdog against Joe Lauzon at UFC on Fox 16.
Gomi has to feel good about the fact that none of this really matters from a legacy standpoint. And why’s that? In part because of these five moments we’re about to go through. Some are good, some are bad, all helped to shape a Hall of Fame-level run.
Are there more than five moments to be found? Sure. But finding the Mount Rushmore of his moments, if you will, makes this all the more exciting. They are ranked based on the impact they had on Gomi‘s overall career.