Tonight at UFC 135 the UFC will finally make its first return to Denver since UFC 1 in 1993. Back in those days it’d be hard to imagine that fighters as well rounded as Nate Diaz and Takanori Gomi would be fighting but, they are!
The sport has come a long way since then and the dynamic matchup between Diaz and Gomi is proof.
Takanori Gomi is one of Japan’s finest and was once considered to be one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) lightweight fighters on the planet. The hype around “The Fireball Kid” has since died down but he is still a competitor.
One of Gomi’s biggest strengths is his extremely durable chin; he has never been knocked out in 40 fights! Aside from his chin, his hands pack good power. He managed to brutally knock out Tyson Griffin and has 11 other (T)KO victories to his credit.
Gomi is also a skilled wrestler and grappler. He has won numerous wrestling titles in Japan and won the Japanese leg of the prestigious ADCC tournament in 2011.
How do these accomplishments stack up to Diaz’s?
Diaz’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is his biggest strength and he has nine submission victories out of 13 wins. His striking, like his brother Nick’s, is of a high-volume style and is difficult to figure out.
Will this style present a problem for Gomi?
It may, it may not. What is more important is the gameplan Gomi decides to enact. If he brings Diaz to the ground in an attempt to smother him with wrestling a la Rory Macdonald, it’s possible and even likely that he will get caught in a submission. Gomi’s wrestling is good, but not at the level to suppress the jiu-jitsu of Diaz.
If Gomi winds up on the ground, he’ll be submitted, just like he was against Kenny Florian and Clay Guida.
If the fight stays on the feet, Gomi will have greater odds at victory since both men are roughly equal in striking skills and have never been knocked out.
So what’s the “final prediction?” Diaz via submission in the third round.