Report: Kenny Florian vs Takanori Gomi Possible for UFC Fight Night 22
by Kid Nate on Jan 13, 2010 12:46 AM EST
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Fighters Only reports:
Takanori Gomi could make his UFC debut against unsuccessful lightweight challenger Kenny Florian at UFC Fight Night 22, Fighters Only was told this week. The event takes place in North Carolina on March 31st.
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It’s a possibility, and at least one source we have spoken to believes it is likely. There is nothing concrete as yet - the fight is not even signed - but it’s a match that is sure to please Spike viewers if it tops Fight Night 22.
This would be a pretty interesting and risky booking choice for the UFC and Gomi. But they might as well throw him in at the deep end. They brought him in to contend for the title ASAP, not slowly build towards a run.
Gomi's fall from grace in the past couple of years has been as precipitous as Cro Cop's but American fans don't know that and if he can get a KO win over the very dangerous Kenny Florian -- he would immediately be a serious and compelling title challenger for B.J. Penn.
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It made me laugh because of Jamie Varner’s recent comments about the WEC being the Urijah Faber show. First, they put him in front of posters for cards he isn’t headlining. Now they’re giving other fighters his last name to promote their fights. I can’t wait till they sign Faber Emelianenko.
So both Faber and Florian are gonna face him
or are they gonna fuse DBZ STYLE
by IRodC on Jan 13, 2010 12:47 AM EST reply actions 3 recs
there are no challengers left for BJ Penn
when an undersized Frankie Edgar, a one-dimensional Gray Maynard, and an over-the-hill Takanori Gomi are your top choices its time to move BJ up and take a couple of welterweight fights.
Or for the UFC to open the wallet and pay up for some new LW talent.
by MMAEruption on Jan 13, 2010 12:53 AM EST up reply actions
NO ONE in the LW Division is likely to beat BJ Penn...
…and no one is clamoring for another superfight between BJ Penn and GSP anytime soon after the last one-sided beatdown. So it’s not a matter of who they can bring in who has a good shot at beating BJ Penn, it’s just a matter of bringing fresh challengers who are somewhat marketable or at least stand out from the last challenger. They need people to build BJ’s legacy right now until a truly dangerous LW challenger does come along. If BJ loses, then the LW division is suddenly competitive again. If BJ just keeps winning and winning then maybe he can start fighting welterweights two years from now or something. For now he’s become a legit PPV draw on his own, and a fight against Josh Koscheck or whoever is a lose-lose situation. You’re either going to ruin a prospective opponent for GSP or you’re gonna hurt Penn’s aura and drawing power.
For now the only Welterweight fight that might make any sense business-wise might be BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes.
There’s no way Matt Hughes takes that fight. Matt Hughes wants nothing but big-money fights against guys he’s sure he can beat.
BJ would mutilate him.
Matt Hughes
was willing to fight Anderson Silva. I think he’ll be willing to fight BJ Penn.
At this point, I doubt Hughes cares much about winning or losing. He does want big money fights, and he deserves them.
by Lauren J Darkbloom on Jan 13, 2010 10:16 AM EST up reply actions
hughes is nearly done though
i say this renzo gracie fight is probably his last i dont see him wanting to fight bj again
They might as well throw him into deep waters. It would be a total disaster if Gomi lost to someone like Sam Stout or Spencer Fisher if they didn’t want Gomi to fight a top guy.
If Kenny blows him out of the water (def not a sure thing) then at least Florian sets himself up for another shot at BJ down the road.
kennys vastly improved since bj beat him
he looked great agianst guida and a new strategy against bj could really help him, we all know at this point that bjs cardio isnt as questionable anymore and kennys entire strategy in the last fight was to attack bjs cardio
if he beats gomi then maybe has a fight agaisnt another tough opponent id say he deserves another shot i think hes the #2 lightweight in the world and could take both aoki and alvarez (who are both highly overrated in my opinion)
This may blow up in their faces.
Kenny has a really good chance of beating Gomi. In fact, I’m gonna say he beats Gomi. If he does beat Gomi, Kenny will be the Rich Franklin of the LW division.
I love me some Sexyama!
I don’t think they have an expectation here, so I don’t see how it blows up in their faces.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Blackout612 on Jan 13, 2010 12:55 AM EST up reply actions
They must have paid quite a bit for Gomi. He hasn’t looked the same in a while. If Kenny beats him, he might end up like CC. But, maybe there’s that anyway, regardless.
I love me some Sexyama!
It's not like they're trying to tank Ken
If they were going to put waders on Gomi and cross their fingers, there are much better choices than Ken.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Blackout612 on Jan 13, 2010 12:59 AM EST up reply actions
For sure, they’re not trying to tank Kenny. I just think it would be better if it went BJ then Kenny, rather than the other way around, because I think Kenny is a couple of wins away from getting another crack at BJ anyway.
I love me some Sexyama!
I think it’s pretty clear what’s at play here— Edgard/Maynard are fighting over a shot, so how do they just plug in Gomi? Gomi wins and Maynard has to win another fight (impressively) before they decide between those two. Gomi isn’t gonna ride the pine until like August to get a free pass to a title shot. Makes all the sense in the world to me..
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
Yeah, I guess that timeline works pretty well. In the meantime show Gomi destroying guys on their new Pride show.
I love me some Sexyama!
I don't like it.
Florian has been a destroyer of men. Gomi has looked sub-par lately. This is a bad matchup of a marketable guy for the long haul and a potential contender in the short term. I feel like Tyson Griffin is the perfect fight for Gomi. It’s somebody he should beat handily if he’s back in form and is recognizable enough to earn a title shot off of. If he loses then he has no business fighting BJ, and Griffin is one top 10-15ish win away from a title shot of his own. While this happens, Kenny can fight Pellegrino and Diego gets rebound W against Sam Stout or Jim Miller before their rematch.
So sayeth pdl’s vision for the UFC LW division. Anybody else like this or am I totally on my own?
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
I definitely think Florian is too much too fast. But they’re probably paying a good chunk for Gomi, and he’s gotta be headlining Fight Nights or getting second billing or he’s not worth it. I’m sure I could imagine Gomi vs. Griffin being enough for a Fight Night, and I could see Guida as well for his popularity level, and just for the visual of the Caveman vs. the Fireball Kid. Anyway, Gomi’s record the past few years makes me think he should get a fairly winnable fight with a tough opponent, but not top five competition. But damn, Florian/Gomi is a pretty great main event for a Fight Night, and if guys can just stay healthy, please for the love of God, then the UFC seems intent on showering us with riches in the next few months. But I don’t think Florian/Pellegrino is worth doing, so who should Kenny fight, Diego?
by Kwisatz Haderach on Jan 13, 2010 1:52 AM EST up reply actions
I don't like Pellegrino for some reason
and want to see him get manhandled. Kenny could fight Maynard, but UFC won’t want him derailed in case Gomi falls apart and they need another contender waiting in the wings. Diego needs a winnable fight before the bit TUF rematch. He’s a great draw for Spike cards and put up good PPV numbers with BJ. I don’t see the UFC wanting to give him two losses in a row. Sanchez vs. Stout is damn near a lock for FOTN unless they bring Ben Henderson to fight Clay Guida on the same card. This way, neither his nor Kenny’s marketability crashes after one of them loses to the other. So, again, my idea goes something like this:
Kenny Florian vs. Kurt Pellegrino (or anyone to stay busy)
Diego Sanchez vs. Sam Stout for a huge brawl
Gomi vs. Tyson Griffin to create a contender
Gray Maynard vs. Evan Dunham
If Gomi wins he gets Penn. If (read: when) Diego and Kenny both win then they get their rematch. If Maynard beats Dunham, which is not a foregone conclusion in my mind, then he has to go through Joe Stevenson before his title shot while Gomi challenges. This keeps the top of the division moving, builds up marketable fights, creates time for prospects like Etim to build, and stops BJ from chasing his white whale just a little bit longer.
If they get really lucky, Sengoku and/or Bellator collapse and UFC pulls the top talent out of the fall. Or Kawajiri gets pissy that he doesn’t get his title shot and bails on DREAM. But that’s wistful Dana thinking.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
I'm glad the UFC doesn't buy this
This is like a slew of cupcake 1 sided matchmaking…I’m glad the UFC is giving us some real fights.
Pellegrino and Florian are close friends,
and training partners.
by Anton Tabuena on Jan 13, 2010 6:35 AM EST up reply actions
Thanks. I thought that was an impossibility.
by Kwisatz Haderach on Jan 13, 2010 4:56 PM EST up reply actions
I disagree
Fuck protecting the guy— look at everyone pissing all over this Edgar/Penn fight. If Gomi can somehow beat Florian, that fight is golden. The same can’t be said for beating Griffin.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
I don't see it as protecting.
It’s more of a test. The top lightweights in the world on a good night could still lose to Kenny. Alvarez, Kawajiri, Edgar, Sanchez, Aoki, Maynard, Melendez… none of them have an easy night with him, and they have all looked pretty damn good lately (Diego’s epic beatdown aside). To throw Gomi, who has had questionable motivation and may have dropped off skillwise, at a guy who has the potential to beat him at the top of his game is unwise.
Tyson Griffin is a dangerous opponent. He’s always in the fight, and has gotten FOTN bonuses in more than half of his UFC fights. His losses are to a former champ and current #1 contender. We aren’t talking about Mac Danzig here, Griffin is top 10 LW in the UFC and is 8 spots above Gomi in the consensus rankings. And with all that said, if Gomi has what it takes to be a top talent then he has the skill set to crush a wrestle-boxer. It’s the perfect test fight, other than the continued use of Joe Stevenson as gatekeeper. If he looks great and people still demand he doesn’t get Vitor’d to his shot, then let him fight Florian. I just don’t want to ruin such a good signing so early.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
How preposterous is this from a sporting standpoint? Don’t want to give Gomi Florian because Florian might win? I’d rather give a cupcake.
If you want a title shot you should beat the best and if Kenflo can beat all those guys then throw him in again with BJ.
Tyson Griffin can win too.
Gomi is ranked number 20 right now. Griffin is 12. It’s no cupcake. It’s competitive and answers questions about both men. Is Gomi still top tier, and has Griffin improved is striking enough from being outboxed by Sherk?
And to Scott and Anton: dammit. I knew about Pellegrino and just wanted it to happen, but I thought Dunham was a good choice for Maynard. I guess Pellegrino vs. Maynard and Florian vs. Dunham isn’t too bad either. If features the UFC standard of the top barrier fighters smashing guys for killing their hyped prospects and keeps Maynard busy with another guy ranked similarly to Diaz, whom he struggled against.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
eh…..no thanks.
Outside of Aoki, there really isn’t anyone whos got a better chance then the current crop of UFC LW’s.
And I think Aoki would get merc’ed. IMHO,the only guys who have shots against BJ aren’t fighting at LW right now.
Eddie Alvarez?
No?
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
Eddie Alvarez wouldn’t stand a snowflakes chance in hell against Penn.
Not that I condone facism or any ism for that matter. Isms are in my opinion, not good. A person shouldn't believe in an ism, he should believe in himself.
I quote John Lennon, "I don't believe in Beatles, I just believe in me". Good point there, after all he was the walrus. I could be the walrus. Wouldn't change the fact I have to bum rides off of people.
He gets hit way too much for having as average a chin as he does to be much a threat to Penn.
"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito Ortiz on Vitor Belfort at Affliction:DOR
by Rundownloser on Jan 13, 2010 1:17 AM EST up reply actions
Said it before, I'll say it again
Crusher, outside of the UFC, has the best chance of beating Penn. It is still a small chance.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
No idea, quite honestly
Seems the type that wants to stay in Japan, though. And from a marketing perspective, the UFC needs the bottom to fall out on the Gomi project before pursuing another Japanese LW to face BJ.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
come on there are a Few LW’s over in Japan beside Aoki I would not mind seeing fight BJ also. Even though I think they would loose I would like to see a Kawajiri, Jochaiem Hansen and Eddie Alvarez fight.
Come on
People like to conjecture about this kind of thing, but Hansen (who I love, mind you) vs BJ would be met with a lot more ire than Edgar/BJ.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Blackout612 on Jan 13, 2010 12:26 PM EST up reply actions
It represents the whole problem with the LW rankings.
Alvarez beat Hansen, Hansen beat, Aoki, Aoki beat them both. But because of all those victories, people automatically place them over the US guys, who all get to the top and get destroyed by BJ.
Indeed
Like that d00d yesterday that said the UFC has nothing for BJ and I fixed his post to properly read “the world has nothing for BJ”. His talent shouldn’t serve to discredit every other 155 pound fighter in the world, but that’s a popular mentality. I think it’s kinda sad, personally. Edgar is as good a fight as you can find for him anywhere in the world.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Blackout612 on Jan 13, 2010 1:16 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Agreed.
"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito Ortiz on Vitor Belfort at Affliction:DOR
by Rundownloser on Jan 13, 2010 1:57 PM EST up reply actions
. Sure the odds are BJ beats all the other top LW’s in the world and pretty easy at that but thats why you fight the fights and not speculate the outcome correct ?. This is MMA and if it teaches us one thing as it has so many dam times before – that is Anything can happen at any time no fighter is ever in a 100% safe fight against any opponent in this sport. Just look no further then the biggest MMA upset of all time the 1st GSP vs Serra fight . On paper BJ destorys them all but fights are not fought on paper.
i really dont think gomi can get pass kenny , kenny is just to well rounded , pretty sure hes number 2 or 3 in the world in my opinion i think he just had a really really bad game plan with penn, Edgar is to small and not enough punching power to do damage on penn , penn would just eat some punches to hurt edgar with one shot , a combination would end the fight real earls. Gomi needs a couple fights in ufc before he even steps in ring with a fighter like florian.
Kenny will demolish Gomi
This shouldn’t have been Gomi’s first match, he needs a fight against Stout or Fisher as a confidence builder.
I’ve got Kenny by rear naked choke.
Not that I condone facism or any ism for that matter. Isms are in my opinion, not good. A person shouldn't believe in an ism, he should believe in himself.
I quote John Lennon, "I don't believe in Beatles, I just believe in me". Good point there, after all he was the walrus. I could be the walrus. Wouldn't change the fact I have to bum rides off of people.
this is a hell of a headliner for a fight night. And pretty bold stuff. Is there anybody more dangerous they could give him for a first fight? On the other hand, the ufc has a history of making these tough fights, and they almost always end up working out one way or the other.
by TLow on Jan 13, 2010 1:57 AM EST via mobile reply actions
agreed
this is a PPV fight, it’s cool seeing it headlining a Fight Night event.
Pain is Temporary
Pride is Forever
Either Gomi is feeling good and asked for a fight like this, or the UFC is really confident in him, or both because no way they would invest a ton of money on a fighter just to watch him lose.
by John Nash on Jan 13, 2010 2:45 AM EST via mobile reply actions
I call nonsense on this for one reason
There’s no way they have a headliner like Florian on a free show. Flo doesn’t exactly pull the butts in the seats like Lesnar or GSP., but he’s certainly one of the “faces” of the UFC and probably one of the 10 or 15 most popular fighters. Other than that, this is an awesome matchup that I think Florian wins by RNC in round 2, very similar to the Guida fight.
http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/
by Cory Braiterman on Jan 13, 2010 2:59 AM EST reply actions
actually
i take that back. Odds are low, but I went back and looked at the list of who’s headlined some cards and was surprised at the names. Maybe they do throw us a bone and give us an awesome fight on free TV
http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/
by Cory Braiterman on Jan 13, 2010 4:30 AM EST up reply actions
They probably want to put Gomi on a free show
in his first fight to see how well he does/build him up with the audience, instead of just putting him on a PPV in his first fight and hoping Florian and other fighters bring in the viewers.
yeah,
Gomi is going to get way more viewers in Spike.
by Anton Tabuena on Jan 13, 2010 8:49 AM EST up reply actions
UFC Fight Night cards sometimes pull out big names.
Matt Hasselbeck's satellite TV signals would get intercepted.
by SSreporters on Jan 13, 2010 11:35 AM EST up reply actions
Looks like they’ve learned their lesson about matchmaking for these ex-PRIDE guys; if you’re serious about making them contenders, don’t march them through bums like Cro-Cop was, because a stumble there means “game over”. Just throw them in deep; if they swim, they swim. If they don’t, well, you’ll probably still come out in the green.
Gomi is also going to get absolutely destroyed. This reminds me of the signing of Kang, where merely putting his name to a contract had people talking like he was really refocused. He’s done nothing proving that he’s “back” from the close fight with Golyaev or the complete domination by Kitaoka. Considering that Florian is a BJJ artist with better striking and wrestling than Kitaoka, its gonna be ugly.
yea i never understood why cro cop didnt get a immediate title shot
i mean cmon eddie sanchez? that was such a joke and then cro cop just disapeared against gonzaga and we’ve havent seen the old pride cro cop who murdered people with his lhk since
The constant discussions about no legit contenders for BJ Penn...
strikes me as another reason to merge the WEC with the UFC.
This could inspire BJ to not go up in weight, but down and chase a 3rd title in a third weightclass, something that would truly cement his already legendary status. I think he could easily make 145.
This has been discussed before
But beating the smaller man just doesn’t have the same appeal…I’m all for exciting fights though and I’d love to see BJ Aldo at any weigh especially if Aldo gets a few more wins.
awesome fight.
since neither guy have a decent chance against Penn right now, let us put matches that make are competitive and enjoy them. If Gomi wins, he would make a decent argument that he is ready for Penn. If Florian wins, another step for a title shot.
Gomi vs Florian is one hell of a fight atleast on paper, same league as Evans vs Silva
I am. I think. I will. - Ayn Rand
Kenny Florian vs Takanori Gomi
This could very well be the fight of the year. You have Kenny who is really good @ kickboxing and then Gomi has some great boxing skills of his own. Neither man is a slouch on the ground might I add.
"If your going to come on then come on!" - Harold Howard
MMA Junkie Tweeted
That Kenny Florian says no deal yet for Gomi, predicts PPV slot if booked.
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