MMA Combat - Gomi vs. Diaz on for UFC 135

MMA Combat - Gomi vs. Diaz on for UFC 135

Gomi (above) will look to re-capture his best form vs. Diaz

"The Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi (32-7-0) will make his return to the octagon at UFC 135 on September 24, where he'll face the crafty Nate Diaz in a lightweight tilt. Gomi, formerly considered to be the #1 lightweight fighter in the world with B.J. Penn's departure from the division years ago, is 1-2 since joining the world's biggest promotion with a quality knockout win over Tyson Griffin; Kenny Florian and most recently, Clay Guida both fared better against the Japanese star however, stopping Gomi via rear naked, and guillotine choke respectively.

Since 2007 Gomi is 5-4-1, but was also tapped-out by Nate's older brother Nick Diaz before the Gracie Jiu Jitsu student tested positive for marijuana, overturning the result to a 'no-contest'. In that particular bout, a strong start by "The Fireball Kid" gave way to cardio issues that saw a fit Diaz pour on his 'punches in bunches' style. Utilizing his reach advantage, Diaz pawed at Gomi keeping the power puncher at bay until a desperate take-down attempt resulted in a fight ending gogoplata (only the second time the maneuver has been pulled off in mixed martial arts competition, under a major promotion).

Diaz (13-7-0) last appeared at UFC 129 - St. Pierre vs. Shields, in Toronto, Canada, where he was out-wrestled by Canadian Rory MacDonald en route to a unanimous decision loss. The defeat was Diaz's second straight decision loss at welterweight, prompting a move back down to the 155lbs division. The Ultimate Fighter Season 5 winner has compiled a record of 8-5-0 since joining the UFC ranks, and with a similar style and frame, will likely use the blueprint drawn up by his brother in preparation for Gomi. The Cesar Gracie black-belt has been stopped only once in 20 professional appearances.

The fight card for UFC 135 as it currently stands can be found below. The event will take place at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, and is headlined by a light heavyweight title bout pitting challenger Quinton "Rampage" Jackson against champion Jon "Bones" Jones.

Matchups:

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Jon Jones (No. 1 LHW, No. 6 PFP) vs. Quinton Jackson (No. 4 LHW)

Matt Hughes vs. Diego Sanchez
Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi
Damacio Page vs. Norifumi Yamamoto
Ben Rothwell vs. Mark Hunt
Travis Browne vs. Rob Broughton


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