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[notrightn0w]

I have an announcement to make. I have been taking a break for a long time, but now I've decided to come back to the ring.

Last year, I didn't fight, had no goals, and was not even sure if I wanted to fight. I know my fans were longing to see me fight, but I couldn't respond to their expectations. I don't like to be influenced by anyone when I make a decision, such as where and when I fight.

I've been training with my students and focused on my roots. Sometimes, I felt lazy and did nothing. I had a hard time because I was irritated and didn't know what to do. It was not meaningless but a valuable year for me. The year of 2008 just started and I'm enjoying training such as boxing and wrestling. I'm refreshed and even feel like I'm new in MMA.

I had several choices about where I fight next. Though I believe my fans have their opinions and hopes about my next stage, I decided to fight in the Sengoku. I can trust them as a fighter.

I'm preparing for my next fight on Mar 05. I will be the best condition physically and mentally. I hope many people come and enjoy this new event, and I look forward to starting a new life as an MMA fighter in the new event.

Comments taken from Gomi's press conferences below as well as the translation of his blog update above are provided by SukiMMA:

"I would like to deliver a fight which has more impact than before."

"By watching UFC on NYE, I felt the MMA boom for the past 10 years had ended. I felt I wanted make a new start and I confirmed that a new event is where I fight next."

"Fighting outside of Japan attracts me, but I decided to fight close to most of my fans."

UFC 81 RESULTS, UFC News, MMA News - Takanori Gomi: 'I feel the UFC boom has ended' - MMASCOOPS.COM

I don't know how anyone can feel the boom was over during the Liddell-Silva fight. that place was going off.

[jlruthven84]

Er, yeah Gomi, OK...

I think he's still feeling the effects of that gogoplata that never happened.

[ArMnHC]

ok he didnt really say "UFC's boom was over" he was talking about MMA in general...which is good cuz i was bout to go off LOL

but seriously, i still think Gomi wants nothing to do with the UFC fighters...thats just me. he better have a Top 10 fighter in March or his #1 status should be revoked.

[littlequaker]

i really feel that if you want to be a legitimate world champion in this sport you need to fight in the ufc. the other organization have some talented fighters and a couple of real heavy hitters, fedor, frank shamrock, etc. but nobody has a larger pool of real fighters to draw from than the ufc. if you choose to fight outside the ufc, even if its not really your intention, your telling fans you dont want high level competition. look at how fast fedors stock has gone down.

[Steel]

He needs to give Diaz back his stash.

[AJL416AZ]

lol at the Gomi hate.

people talk like the UFC LW division even has anyone elite except BJ and Sherk.
Stevenson just proved to be nowhere near the top when BJ totally tooled him. even Gomi took a whipping that wasnt as bad as that, and that was like 4 years ago.

the primary crop of elite 155ers are in Japan still.
JZ, Aoki, Kawajiri, Ishida, Melendez. just the ones that were attached to the Yarrenoka show.

[Mirko45]

Originally Posted by AJL416AZ

lol at the Gomi hate.

people talk like the UFC LW division even has anyone elite except BJ and Sherk.
Stevenson just proved to be nowhere near the top when BJ totally tooled him. even Gomi took a whipping that wasnt as bad as that, and that was like 4 years ago.

the primary crop of elite 155ers are in Japan still.
JZ, Aoki, Kawajiri, Ishida, Melendez. just the ones that were attached to the Yarrenoka show.

This is very true, but the UFC is fucking loaded with top prospects at 155. They are like the Tampa Bay Devil Rays of MMA, hardly elite but a few years down the road they should be nasty

[thebwit]

Originally Posted by AJL416AZ

the primary crop of elite 155ers are in Japan still.
JZ, Aoki, Kawajiri, Ishida, Melendez. just the ones that were attached to the Yarrenoka show.

That may be true, but for the most part about 95% of the televised 155lb fights are fricking awesome. You don't need to have the top guys if everyone in that division is able to put on a good fight. Not to say the top guys don't, but from the UFC's stand point - those guys are all unknown to MOST of the UFC's fans and the guys they already have signed can throw down some leather.

Now if we were talking the heavyweight division a year and a half ago - well then duh - UFC needed to sign some big names and they did. That was because the guys they had, just weren't putting on good fights.

[Steel]

Originally Posted by AJL416AZ

lol at the Gomi hate.

people talk like the UFC LW division even has anyone elite except BJ and Sherk.
Stevenson just proved to be nowhere near the top when BJ totally tooled him. even Gomi took a whipping that wasnt as bad as that, and that was like 4 years ago.

the primary crop of elite 155ers are in Japan still.
JZ, Aoki, Kawajiri, Ishida, Melendez. just the ones that were attached to the Yarrenoka show.

No hate here, I just don't like negative statements like that from any fighter.

[jrube]

Originally Posted by notrightn0w

UFC 81 RESULTS, UFC News, MMA News - Takanori Gomi: 'I feel the UFC boom has ended' - MMASCOOPS.COM

I don't know how anyone can feel the boom was over during the Liddell-Silva fight. that place was going off.

Allow me to translate. Gomi is saying that the competition is way too tough at 155lbs in the UFC, and since he already lost his last fight in the USA, he fears he will lose more if he were to join the UFC...