Florian, Gomi Greenlit for UFC Fight Night 21
Brian Knapp Mar 30, 2010
Weeks of hype and intrigue will reach their crescendo in little
more than 24 hours, when Kenny
Florian welcomes former Pride Fighting Championships
lightweight king Takanori
Gomi to the Octagon for the first time.
Florian, a two-time UFC title challenger, checked in at a fit 156 pounds for his UFC Fight Night 21 showdown with Gomi (155) on Wednesday at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C. The 20 other men booked to compete on the 11-bout lineup -- including co-headliners Roy Nelson (263) and Stefan Struve (248) -- also met their contracted weight requirements at Tuesday’s official weigh-in.
Florian has posted seven wins in eight fights, losing only to UFC
lightweight king B.J. Penn in
that timeframe. The popular 33-year-old last competed in December,
when he submitted Clay Guida
with a second-round rear-naked choke at UFC 107. Florian, a
Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and polished stand-up fighter, also
holds victories against American Top Team’s Din Thomas,
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 semi-finalist Joe Lauzon and
the highly regarded Joe
Stevenson. Only two of his 13 UFC bouts have gone the
distance.
Once considered the standard bearer in the lightweight division, Gomi will carry a two-fight winning streak into his UFC debut. He has not appeared on American soil since his ill-fated matchup with Nick Diaz ended in his gogoplata-induced submission at Pride 33 in February 2007; the result was later changed to a no contest after Diaz tested positive for suspected marijuana use. Gomi, 31, counts victories over former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver, Japanese standout Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, Strikeforce veteran Mitsuhiro Ishida and the world-ranked Tatsuya Kawajiri among his 31 career conquests. He has never been knocked out.
Nelson, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 winner and former International Fight League heavyweight champion, will collide with the 6-foot-11 Struve in the co-main event.
Nelson, 33, knocked out the previously unbeaten Brendan Schaub at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale three months ago in Las Vegas. Finished only once -- by former UFC heavyweight titleholder Andrei Arlovski -- in 18 professional bouts, he has won six of his last eight fights. Nelson, a Las Vegas native known as much for his portly physique as his considerable skills, holds a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Renzo Gracie.
One of the sport’s tallest competitors, Struve will carry a three-fight winning streak into the match. The 22-year-old Dutchman has delivered 14 of his 19 career victories by submission. Only one of Struve’s 22 professional bouts -- his majority decision win over Paul Buentello at UFC 112 in December -- has gone to the judges.
UFC Fight Night 21
Wednesday, March 31
Bojangles Coliseum
Charlotte, N.C.
Kenny Florian (156) vs. Takanori Gomi (155)
Roy Nelson (263) vs. Stefan Struve (248)
Nate Quarry (186) vs. Jorge Rivera (186)
Ross Pearson (156) vs. Dennis Siver (156)
Andre Winner (156) vs. Rafaello Oliveira (156)
Jacob Volkmann (155) vs. Ronys Torres (155)
Robert Emerson (154) vs. Nik Lentz (155)
Caol Uno (156) vs. Gleison Tibau (156)
Yushin Okami (184) vs. Lucio Linhares (184)
Gerald Harris (186) vs. Mario Miranda (186)
Charlie Brenneman (170) vs. Jason High (170)
Florian, a two-time UFC title challenger, checked in at a fit 156 pounds for his UFC Fight Night 21 showdown with Gomi (155) on Wednesday at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C. The 20 other men booked to compete on the 11-bout lineup -- including co-headliners Roy Nelson (263) and Stefan Struve (248) -- also met their contracted weight requirements at Tuesday’s official weigh-in.
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Once considered the standard bearer in the lightweight division, Gomi will carry a two-fight winning streak into his UFC debut. He has not appeared on American soil since his ill-fated matchup with Nick Diaz ended in his gogoplata-induced submission at Pride 33 in February 2007; the result was later changed to a no contest after Diaz tested positive for suspected marijuana use. Gomi, 31, counts victories over former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver, Japanese standout Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, Strikeforce veteran Mitsuhiro Ishida and the world-ranked Tatsuya Kawajiri among his 31 career conquests. He has never been knocked out.
Nelson, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 winner and former International Fight League heavyweight champion, will collide with the 6-foot-11 Struve in the co-main event.
Nelson, 33, knocked out the previously unbeaten Brendan Schaub at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale three months ago in Las Vegas. Finished only once -- by former UFC heavyweight titleholder Andrei Arlovski -- in 18 professional bouts, he has won six of his last eight fights. Nelson, a Las Vegas native known as much for his portly physique as his considerable skills, holds a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Renzo Gracie.
One of the sport’s tallest competitors, Struve will carry a three-fight winning streak into the match. The 22-year-old Dutchman has delivered 14 of his 19 career victories by submission. Only one of Struve’s 22 professional bouts -- his majority decision win over Paul Buentello at UFC 112 in December -- has gone to the judges.
UFC Fight Night 21
Wednesday, March 31
Bojangles Coliseum
Charlotte, N.C.
Kenny Florian (156) vs. Takanori Gomi (155)
Roy Nelson (263) vs. Stefan Struve (248)
Nate Quarry (186) vs. Jorge Rivera (186)
Ross Pearson (156) vs. Dennis Siver (156)
Andre Winner (156) vs. Rafaello Oliveira (156)
Jacob Volkmann (155) vs. Ronys Torres (155)
Robert Emerson (154) vs. Nik Lentz (155)
Caol Uno (156) vs. Gleison Tibau (156)
Yushin Okami (184) vs. Lucio Linhares (184)
Gerald Harris (186) vs. Mario Miranda (186)
Charlie Brenneman (170) vs. Jason High (170)
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