Takanori Gomi Biography: Takanori Gomi is a Japanese professional MMA fighter who rose to prominence in the Pride Fighting Championships. Gomi also participated in the Ultimate Fighting Championship later in his career.
Takanori Gomi Biography
Takanori Gomi Biography: Gomi was born in Kanagawa, Japan, in 1978 and began boxing in 1994 at Sagamihara Yonekura Gym while attending Kanagawa Prefectural Aikawa Higashi Junior High School. Gomi was an athletic pitcher for the school’s baseball team who dropped out of high school in 1996 after failing to advance to the following grade. This led to a fight between Gomi and his father, who disowned him due to the incident.
Gomi then went on to learn freestyle and catch wrestling at Kiguchi Dojo and compete in multiple wrestling tournaments throughout Japan, the pinnacle of his grappling career being his 4 All-Japan Fighting Wrestling championships, in which he defeated a number of the nation’s top grapplers, including future opponent Mitsuhiro Ishida.
Takanori Gomi Wiki
Takanori Gomi Biography: Gomi was born in Kanagawa, Japan, in September 22, 1978.
| Name | Takanori Gomi |
| Date Of Birth | September 22, 1978 |
| Birth Place | Kanagawa, Japan |
| Height | 5ft 8inch |
| Weight | 70Kg |
| Zodiac Sign | Virgo |
| Profession | Mixed Martial Artist |
| Net Worth | $3 Million |
| Car Collection | N/A |
What is Takanori Gomi Net Worth?
Takanori Gomi is a Japanese mixed martial arts professional with a net worth of $3 million.
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Takanori Gomi Career
Gomi joined the official Shooto gym in 1997 and began training and competing in amateur Shooto tournaments. On November 27, 1998, he made his professional MMA debut at Shooto Las Grandes Viajes 6 in Tokyo, defeating Hiroshi Tsuruya by decision. Gomi won his first 14 MMA fights, mainly in the Shooto organization, Vale Tudo Japan, and the Hawaiian-based company SuperBrawl.
Gomi won the Shooto World Lightweight Championship 2001 after defeating former colleague Rumina Sato unanimously on December 16. On September 16, 2002, Gomi won a unanimous decision over highly rated American grappler Chris Brennan. He also defended his Shooto title in 2002, defeating Dokonjonosuke Mishima by TKO in the second round.
Gomi’s first defeat was his final battle in Shooto for six years. It was held on August 10, 2003, at the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium. Gomi lost his championship by majority decision against Norwegian fighter Joachim Hansen. Due to Hansen’s 6-1-1 MMA record, this loss was considered a significant upset at the time.
Takanori Gomi UFC Career
On January 1, 2010, Gomi confirmed his signing with the UFC. Gomi made his UFC debut against Kenny Florian at UFC Fight Night 21 and was submitted in the third round by Florian via rear-naked choke after being dominated by jabs and body hits for two rounds.
Gomi was scheduled to meet Joe Stevenson on Versus: 2 on August 1, 2010. However, Stevenson got injured during practice and was replaced by Tyson Griffin. Griffin was knocked out with one punch at 1:04 of the first round by Gomi.
Gomi struck Griffin with a left cross, followed by a right hook, leading Griffin to fall face-first onto the mat. Gomi then landed a couple of short punches on Griffin’s back before the fight was stopped. He is the first person to stop Griffin by knockout since all of Griffin’s before losses were decided by decision. Gomi was also given the Knockout Of The Night award for his performance.
Boxing & Kickboxing Career
On December 31, 2016, Gomi fought in his debut Kickboxing, an exhibition against Masato at KYOKUGEN 2016. Under official Kickboxing exhibition regulations, no winner was decided since the fight went the distance. At Rizin 26, Gomi battled Kouzi. Koji’s weight restriction was 65 kg, while Gomi’s was 75 kg.
The bout’s regulations prohibited grappling and kicking, and both competitors wore 12oz gloves. Gomi won the fight by unanimous decision. On December 31, 2021, Gomi met Tenshin Nasukawa in a two-round exhibition boxing battle at Rizin 33 – Saitama. The fight finished in a no-decision due to time running out without a stoppage.
Takanori Gomi Fighting Style
Gomi was an intense sprawl and brawl fighter, unusual for a Japanese mixed martial artist of his style and ability. He paired excellent takedown defense with assertive, aggressive boxing, earning the moniker “Fireball Kid” for his unique strength and dramatic knockouts. Gomi would harmoniously use both orthodox and southpaw stances, combining the left straight with a feared overhand right and the clinch to set up punches. He was also influential on the ground, preferring ground and pound over submission attempts.
