Gomi, Trigg and a Tournament Worth Watching

Takanori Gomi (Pictures) (28-3) vs. Seung Hwan Bang (Pictures) (5-1)

With the UFC’s 155-pound division on fire and Dream having just closed the book on its grand prix with an exciting, unexpected punctuation mark, it would be disingenuous for me to write about the palpable anticipation of Gomi-versus-Bang. However, there are two elements that make this fight better than your lay fan realizes. First, Gomi remains an elite lightweight. Second, Bang’s raison d’etre seemingly begins and ends with destroying the souls of his Japanese combative contemporaries.

Bang’s Godzillaesque attack on Japan began in unforeseen fashion. In November 2005, he teamed up with fellow South Korean Jeong Ho Lee (Pictures) for a tag team MMA match against then Deep champions Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Pictures) and Jutaro Nakao (Pictures). The lightweight and welterweight kings of Deep at the time, the semi-serious two-on-two tussle was intended to be a homecoming showcase for Mishima and Nakao. Like the rest of the universe, Mishima knew nothing about Bang. He opted to trade strikes with him and was promptly put into orbit.

Today, the hammer-handed Bang reigns as Deep’s lightweight champion. However, despite his consciousness-separating abilities, he would be better suited in the lightweight tournament bracket, as Gomi offers little stylistic chance to the South Korean.

The owner of one of MMA’s most tried and tested chins, Gomi would have to be hit with something epic in order for an upset to blossom in Saitama. Gomi’s stand-up game is savvy enough to navigate the difficult waters on the feet. Lost in the constant criticisms of his exploitable submission defense is the fact that Gomi is a capable wrestler and top position grappler. Bang’s skills on the floor are lacking and should provide easy access to strangulation submission for Sengoku’s lightweight star.

Makoto Takimoto (Pictures) (4-4) vs. Frank Trigg (Pictures) (16-6)

Throughout the always-excellent Judo portion of the ongoing Beijing Olympiad, I found myself watching the misnomered “gentle art” with a new-found curiosity.

“Hey, I wonder how good that guy would be at MMA?” I'd wonder. That was immediately followed by, “At least better than Makoto Takimoto (Pictures).”

Takimoto is not the sorriest Olympic medalist to ever walk into MMA, and he would have to go out of his way to outdo the likes of Matt Ghaffari. However, of fighters who have tried to carve out a legitimate MMA career, the 2000 gold medalist may be the most disappointing. Despite some early favoritism in getting unwarranted victories over Henry Miller (Pictures) and fellow Judo standout Dong Sik Yoon (Pictures), Takimoto has gutted out well-appointed victories over Zelg Galesic (Pictures) and Murilo Bustamante (Pictures). However, there remains a discernible sense in his fights that he’d rather be anywhere else on the planet than actually in a fight.

A triumph over Frank Trigg (Pictures) would mark Takimoto’s biggest and most unlikely victory thus far. However, it is just that -- unlikely. Trigg won’t be able to walk over Takimoto like he did Edwin Dewees (Pictures) eight months ago, but Takimoto’s only real chances are to either catch Trigg’s back in a scramble opportunity generated by defending the takedown or a submission from his back.

There’s no way it can be as irksome as Takimoto having no idea how to check a low kick against Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos in his last bout, but Trigg should be able to pummel and pound Takimoto en route to a TKO victory, much to the pleasure of TAGG Radio listeners.

Satoshi Ishii, your MMA debut cannot come fast enough.

Pawel Nastula (Pictures) (1-3) vs. Yang Dong Yi (2-0)

One of the best half-heavyweight Judokas ever -- with an Olympic gold and two world championships to show for it -- Nastula was presumptively predestined for MMA failure, if for no other reason than the cannibalistic tendencies of Japanese promoters with internationally acclaimed crossover athletes. Yet, despite a meager 1-3 record, Nastula has shown a natural ability and aptitude for the MMA world while being baptized by the harshest of fires against elite level heavyweights like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures), Josh Barnett (Pictures) and Aleksander Emelianenko (Pictures).

To his credit, Yi has looked impressive in his Deep appearances, displaying his strong wrestling background and the ability to dish out some punishment with his hands. However, Nastula represents a different level of competition, one which will see to it that Yi receives an early armbar, no matter how game he may be.

Moise Rimbon (12-7-3) vs. Peter Graham (Pictures) (0-1)

How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man? How many MMA vs. K-1 fights must a fan sit through before you call him a fan?

Unless somebody has tricked Rimbon into thinking this is a kickboxing match, I’ll take lukewarm submissions over Graham’s Rolling Thunder every day of the week.

Yoshiki Takahashi (Pictures) (28-23-3) vs. Valentijn Overeem (Pictures) (25-22)

If there is one thing that an individual can take away from a viewing of the Rings King of Kings tournament in 2000, it is simply a sense of staggering disappointment at what Overeem has become.

A legitimate heavyweight with considerable athleticism and well-roundedness, he was 24 years old and already owned submission victories over Randy Couture (Pictures) and Renato Sobral (Pictures). Nearly eight years later, with only two forgettable wins in the last four years, and strings of embarrassing losses, it’s like he was a dot-com bubble victim. Once a young hotshot executive with a promising portfolio, he’s now raving to horrified strangers about quarterly reports and urinating in the back corner of a Taco Bell.

In truth, Overeem’s figurative bubble burst was a direct result of the death of Rings, as the promotion’s anti-ground-and-pound provisions suited him. In modern MMA, Overeem seems to throw in the towel the moment adversity strikes, which is hardly a desirable trait in such a blood-and-guts sport. Takahashi’s the polar opposite. With little in the skills department and virtually no sense of his own mortality, he’s willing to charge headlong into any battle, at which point he promptly dies on his sword, again and again and again.

It’s easy to pick against Takahashi. He’s nearly 40, he’s the less skilled fighter and, at times, it seems like he actually finds pleasure in getting his brains melted. However, as easy at it is to pick Takahashi to lose, it’s even harder to pick Overeem to win. If there’s one guy who will find a way to lose before Takahashi finds a way to get knocked out, here he is.