Can “The Fireball Kid” survive “The Dream” with a home court advantage?
That’s the question we might be asking if a fight between Takanori Gomi and Diego Sanchez is made official for UFC on Fuel 8, the promotion’s next card in Japan.
Judging by a recent Twitter post from Sanchez, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva is currently waiting on Gomi to sign off for that match, which will likely take place on the main card:
Might have a fight lined up for march 2nd… Just waiting on the man Joe Silva to see if Mr. Fireball kid takes it? #japan #yesyesyes
— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) November 23, 2012
Sanchez is returning to the lightweight division after his recent 2-2 welterweight run ended in a close decision loss against Jake Ellenberger at UFC on Fuel 1 last February. Despite the middling record, Sanchez nonetheless racked up three consecutive “Fight of the Night” awards.
Gomi, on the other hand, is coming off his first back-to-back wins since joining the UFC in March 2010. He also just won a “Fight of the Night” split decision against Mac Danzig at UFC on Fuel 6 in Macau, China.
No bouts have been announced or confirmed for the UFC on Fuel 8 card yet, although the promotion is expected to stack the event with as much Japanese talent on the roster as possible. Currently, that list includes the following fighters (without pre-existing bouts): Yoshihiro Akiyama, Takeya Mizugaki, Riki Fukuda and Yasuhiro Urushitani.
Sanchez recently created a stir on Twitter by claiming welterweight title contender Nick Diaz is “scared” of fighting him in a rematch of their Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale main-event brawl. However, it’s a bout that’s unlikely to happen with Diaz still suspended (and unlicensed) following a positive marijuana drug test and Sanchez dropping down to 155 pounds once again.
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