Gomi Returns to Shooto

by ilostmydog on Mar 20, 2009 3:08 PM EDT

Former number one ranked lightweight Takanori Gomi will return to Shooto's final 20th anniversary event at "Shooto Tradition Final" on May 10 at the JCB Hall.
Gomi (29-5)'s opponent will be Shooto 154-pound champion Takashi Nakakura (10-2).

Both competitors were brought inside the ring during "Shooto Tradition 6" today.

"I returned to Shooto because I like fighting in Shooto," Gomi said. "This is where I debuted and I want to show my gratitude."

Further event details:

Shooto Tradition Final
May 10, 2009
JCB Hall
Tokyo, Japan

Takashi Nakakura (11-2-1) vs. Takanori Gomi (29-5) (Non-Title Fight)

Takeshi 'Lion' Inoue (15-3) vs. Rumina Sato (24-13-2) (No announcement, but this shouldn't be a title fight)

Koutetsu Boku (13-5-2) vs. Yutaka Ueda (6-1-1)

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

Tweet Comment 23 comments | 3 recs |

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Comments

Seems like a logical move for Gomi – it really seemed like he wanted out of WVR after the Kitaoka fight – but Nakakura doesn’t look like an ideal matchup to me. If Gomi loses this one…

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by Chris Nelson on Mar 20, 2009 3:27 PM EDT reply actions

Oh and rec’d, just because you jumped in the FanPost game.

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by Chris Nelson on Mar 20, 2009 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Ha. Thanks. I was going to pretty it up and add some kind of analysis about how two years ago this match would’ve been crazy but since then they’ve basically been heading in opposite directions career-wise….but I realized I was already ten minutes late to a group meeting. Worst.

by ilostmydog on Mar 20, 2009 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Good Move

This is just like when the UFC sends someone out to win a few in a minor league. It’ll be good for Gomi – less pressure, no tournament named for him, hopefully he can get his head back where it needs to be.

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett

by Scott C. Broussard on Mar 20, 2009 3:37 PM EDT reply actions

by Nick Thomas on Mar 20, 2009 3:44 PM EDT reply actions

It's time for a rebirth...

While I don’t think Gomi will ever be the same, this is heading down the right road. He needs to begin building himself back into the mold of a champion. Move down to a smaller promotion, get some fights under his belt, get a solid training camp.

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by Leland Roling on Mar 20, 2009 4:13 PM EDT reply actions

I think the biggest thing is getting a solid training camp. Aside from smashing Ishida, he really hasn’t looked very good since he started his own gym.

by ilostmydog on Mar 20, 2009 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Hopefully this will get some of his focus back.

by Tonley on Mar 20, 2009 5:05 PM EDT reply actions

final?

Don’t understand the wording… Shooto’s final 20th anniversary event…
What does that mean? That there will be no more 20th anniversaries? LOL…

Be water, my friend.
http://martialfarts.fightlinker.com

by Martial Farts on Mar 20, 2009 8:53 PM EDT reply actions

The Shooto ‘Tradition’ series of events has all been in celebration of Shooto’s twentieth anniversary. This is the final event of that series. I’ll agree that the original article is very poorly worded in that respect.

by ilostmydog on Mar 20, 2009 9:26 PM EDT up reply actions

domo, domo

Be water, my friend.
http://martialfarts.fightlinker.com

by Martial Farts on Mar 21, 2009 4:13 AM EDT reply actions

Gomi is going to lose again, he clearly has no interest in being a top fighter again he’s lost his fire and is going to go down badly against Nakakura.

by Raker on Mar 21, 2009 4:27 AM EDT reply actions

I honestly would’ve rather seen Gomi cut to FW to fight in the WVR GP, because I think Gomi has always been a tad undersized and soft for LW, especially these days.

If he trains like he used to, he could quite easily make the cut to 143, where he would be a force.

Supporting all Las Vegas MMA.

'09 is the year of the FW's.

by ElliotMatheny on Mar 21, 2009 3:19 PM EDT reply actions

Gomi at 143?

He could never make it that little. He’d be more ripped than a Stanozolol aided Sherk if he did. It’d be cool but he’s just too “thick” to make that cut.

I honestly think Gomi should try boxing. Maybe it would give him something to focus on. He’s got the chin for it and the power for it.

Gimme 1 round!

by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 21, 2009 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Gomi has struggled to make 160 at times in the past, I thought.

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by Richard Wade on Mar 21, 2009 8:08 PM EDT up reply actions

I’ve never heard of him having any trouble making 160. He’s not the mythical gargantuan LW that everyone said he was a few years ago, but he’s almost certainly too large to cut to FW.

by ilostmydog on Mar 21, 2009 9:37 PM EDT up reply actions

wasn’t aware of the starting his own gym thing. that can be disastrous….being top dog at your gym isn’t how you stay on top.

Gatti. Dekkers. Pele. Aoki. Kang. Vanderlei.
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by theworldsoldestsport on Mar 22, 2009 2:49 PM EDT reply actions

Well, GSP and Anderson Silva probably don’t have a choice, but they have amazing camps with great, great fighters for competition – and they return the favor.

by Derek Suboticki on Mar 22, 2009 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Gomi just needs a couple of more fights to get his confidence back. He also needs to train for leg locks, they are becoming very popular in Japan.

by Bandaka on Mar 22, 2009 4:30 PM EDT reply actions

And most would agree that his loss to to that Russian guy, Sergey Golyaev was a draw if anything.

by Bandaka on Mar 22, 2009 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions

INOUE-SATO IS NOW A TITLE FIGHT

WTF

by Chris Nelson on Apr 12, 2009 4:38 PM EDT reply actions

I mean, it doesn’t matter, ’cause Sato will lose, but still.

by Chris Nelson on Apr 12, 2009 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions

I really hope Gomi performs well. He’s been one of my favorites for a while now and he has not even looked remotely interested in fighting his last few fights (I can’t even watch the Diaz fight anymore) regardless of what he has said pre- or post-fight.

by Rahson on Apr 14, 2009 4:45 PM EDT reply actions