He was courted and brought all the way across the pond to UFC 80, but not surprisingly, the deal fell through with the American Zuffa company and #1 Lightweight in the world as well as Pride FC Grand Prix Champion, former Shooto Champion, and current Pride FC Lightweight Champion, the "Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi 27-3 has been signed to World Victory Road!
A major free agent aquisition for the new Japanese MMA promotion as Gomi is widely cosidered the best Lightweight in the world even coming off a loss to Nick Diaz almost a full year ago. The UFC seemed to be the front runner of companies trying to sign the wildly popular fighter, but I for one am not surprised Gomi stayed home.
World Victory Road, or Pride FC lite, is a Japanese promotion which allows Takanori to stay home for his training and fights. He is a mega-star there and would be almost starting completely over in the USA while in the "land of the rising sun" he almost certainly is the #1 contender the WVR belt, or maybe they just keep the old Pride FC belt.
It seems a steal at only $190,000 a fight (US dollars) and the WVR gets the "face" of their promotion and a proven hometown superstar. Maybe this will lead to signings of other Japanese greats such as Hidehiko Yoshida, "Mach" Sakurai, and Kazuyuki Fujita to WVR as well.
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