Takanori Gomi suffers upset loss at Sengoku 6

Takanori Gomi has been considered one of the best “pound for pound” fighters in MMA during recent years, but in his past few fights he has looked listless and tentative.  He was lucky to escape with a decision victory over Bang Seung Hwan at Sengoku 4, but was unable to dodge the same bullet twice as he was defeated by Red Devil team member Sergey Golyaev via split decision at Sengoku 6 held in Tokyo late Friday night US time.

Coming into the fight Golyaev was considered a solid submission fighter with little KO power essentially “hand picked” to help ensure that Gomi would look strong to set up a match with the winner of the promotion’s lightweight Grand Prix tournament.  Despite the fact that Golyaev had never won a fight via KO in his career, Gomi appeared overly respectful of his opponent’s striking as he danced just out of range for the first three minutes of the fight occasionally flashing a jab or a low kick.  Golyaev didn’t do much either, and three minutes in neither fighter had landed a significant strike.  The action heated up for the final two minutes of the first round when Gomi countered a wild and inaccurate Golyaev overhand right with a takedown.  “The Fireball Kid” then alternated between punches and submission attempts on the ground.  He was able to secure an armbar as the round neared the end but Golyaev was able to withstand the pain for the final twenty seconds.

The tide would be turned in the second, when midway through the frame Golyaev caught Gomi with a kneestrike followed immediately by a solid right hand that sent his opponent sprawling to the canvas.  Gomi was fortunate to survive this barrage, and instinctively eluded his opponent while he regained his senses.  Golyaev would resume his attack for the rest of the 2nd round, but Gomi had by then recovered.

The third round was fairly uneventful, with Golyaev unwilling or unable to let his hands go and Gomi mostly throwing tactical punches and kicks and then dancing out of range.  Neither fighter did much until the final minute of the fight when Gomi rocked his opponent with his best punch of the night.  The tough Russian shook it off and the two men exchanged a flurry of strikes until the final bell.

Gomi had hoped that his status as a superstar in his home country would be enough to give him the verdict in an even fight.  That was not to be, however, as two of the three judges named Golyaev the winner.  Had the fight been in the US, where MMA is judged round by round  (using the same 10 point must system as in boxing) Gomi would have likely won the first and third rounds, with Golyaev taking the 2nd (perhaps by a 10-8 score).  In other words, Gomi would have likely won or at worst earned a draw.  Since MMA in Japan is judged by the entire fight two of the three judges obviously were swayed by Golyaev’s near stoppage.