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4. Nick Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi
Pride 33
Feb. 24, 2007 | Las Vegas

The epic Diaz-Gomi encounter took place on the penultimate Pride show and the company’s second-ever card held in Las Vegas. Top to bottom, the card was magnificent, but the fight that stood out more than any other was the unbelievable non-title showdown between Diaz and Gomi, the reigning Pride lightweight champion.

Gomi came out throwing bombs as soon as the fight began and floored Diaz with a right to the jaw. It appeared as though “The Fireball Kid” was going to win with an explosive early knockout, but the famously durable Diaz endured the punishment and fought his way back into the battle at the Thomas & Mack Center. Diaz traded with Gomi bomb for bomb, as he repeatedly rocked and eventually wore down the Pride champion to the point of exhaustion. Finally, after a wild exchange early in the second round and with Diaz bleeding from a horrific laceration under his right eye, Gomi inexplicably shot in for a takedown, allowing the Cesar Gracie-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt to ensnare him in guard. Diaz immediately locked in a gogoplata, one of MMA’s rarest submissions, and forced the tapout 1:46 into round two.

Though the result was later overturned to a no-contest after Diaz tested positive for marijuana, the bout still stands as one of Pride’s best.

Number 3 » Nogueira vs. Filipovic