UFC on Fuel TV 6: Takanori Gomi vs. Mac Danzig Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Come Saturday night, Takanori Gomi will meet Mac Danzig in a lightweight tilt that could very well be considered a crucial bout for each man. Neither has managed to live up to expectations since signing with the promotion, neither man boasts a winning record inside the octagon and both seem to be fading, prime days dwindling.

The loser of this bout could well find themselves delivered their walking papers. Given the depth of the UFC’s lightweight division, neither seems poised to make a run at serious contendership, and a boot for one could very well open a door for some other young, hungry prospect.

Does Takanori Gomi deserve to be released should he lose on Saturday evening? For that matter, does TUF season six winner Mac Danzig deserve the axe? Both put on entertaining shows, and both have amassed loyal followings.

The division won’t absorb a brutal blow should one man be forced to go, but ultimately, it’s the fans who lose should Gomi or Danzig exit the octagon for the final time of their careers.

Interestingly enough, the tightrope each man walks in regards to employment mirrors the technical decline they’ve experienced in recent years. Gomi once owned the Pride lightweight rankings, while Danzig was once recognized as a top-flight prospect after building a 16-3-1 record in his first 20 fights.

As it happens, they also match up quite interestingly to boot.

Striking

How to pick a clear-cut favorite here?

Takanori Gomi is a headhunter, always aiming to send a cranium sailing into the front rows of arenas around the globe. The Japanese star has the power to make it happen, but his technique and reflexes have begun to diminish after 14 years and 42 professional fights.

Gomi can still render foes unconscious, no doubt, but he’s slowed a step with time, and it often seems he’s unaware that utilizing weapons other than his fists alone is legal within the unified rules.

Mac Danzig, in contrast, is a diverse striker, fully willing and capable of launching attacks with all four extremities. He’s also got the advantage of fluid movement. Light on his feet and still quick with his hands, Danzig is dangerous when moving forward as well as backing up and countering.

Danzig may lack the overall career experience that Gomi can lay claim to, but I don’t believe his pugilistic skills have seen quite the decline that Gomi’s have.

This one will be close, but Danzig’s varied attack should be enough to edge “The Fireball Kid” as long as the fight remains contested from the vertical stance.

Edge: Danzig

Grappling

If anyone in this bout is going to opt to turn this into a wild affair on the canvas, it’s likely Mac Danzig. However, I’m not wholly convinced he’s the better all-around fighter once tangling horizontally (I know that sounds so wrong).

Gomi is the superior man in the scrambles, arguably the physically stronger of the two, and his wrestling acumen is a notch above the American’s.

If Takanori can turn this into a dirty fight, force takedowns, unleash some ground-and-pound, and get out of the danger of Danzig’s guard, he can actively wrestle his way straight to victory.

Mac Danzig is no pushover in any one specific area, but if it comes down to who can bully who against the cage and on the mat, you’ve got to go with the relentless Takanori Gomi, who appears stronger and surprisingly comfortable in frenetic grappling exchanges.

Edge: Gomi

Submissions

Despite what may be a wrestling edge for Gomi, there’s a greater disparity on the mat than on the feet in this specific case, and the favorite should be Mac Danzig.

It’s long been known that the one truly glaring weakness in Gomi’s game lies in the realm of offensive and defensive Jiu Jitsu. The man is often impatient on the mat, and when not impatient, he can be quite lethargic. When tangling with a capable submission practitioner, either spells doom, and that’s clearly evidenced by the six submission losses on Takanori’s résumé.

Mac Danzig, unlike Gomi, is not a complacent man on the ground. He’ll hunt for submissions, he’ll avoid them, and no matter what, he’ll remain busy. Especially if he knows he’s got to worry about Gomi’s fists should he find himself from his back.

With 10 submission victories on his ledger, Mac Danzig has proven quite the dangerous submission practitioner.

Gomi himself has picked up a half-dozen submission wins, but make no mistake, Mac Danzig has the heavier tool belt to reach for, and he’s quite sufficient in defending submissions as well.

Edge: Danzig

Intangibles

This is the most challenging category to really analyze while omitting any personal bias. The truth is, both of these guys have some tricks up their sleeves, and both have been active enough to shock audiences with something wild.

Danzig has a great counter hook he fires off while in retreat, but Gomi has the power to render Mac unconscious with a single blow.

I think the greatest X-Factor in this fight could prove to be a combination of durability, cardiovascular capacity and octagon experience.

Danzig’s got the bigger gas tank, but Gomi is a miniature tank, and it’s going to take a lot to slow that tank down. That said, if Danzig can survive the early storm that Gomi is all but guaranteed to unleash, his comfort in the cage may prove his pot at the end of the rainbow.

When it comes to cardio, I've got to go with Mac, who looks to be a bit more fit and frequently more prepared than Gomi.

Ultimately, however, I’ve got to lean on Gomi’s one-hitter quitter power as the most threatening intangible in this bout. If anything genuinely crazy happens in this fight, it's likely to be Gomi finding the chin of Danzig with a huge right hand. If he lands flush, Mac Danzig is going to have a horrible nightmare inside the cage. A smelling salt could bring that to a quick halt, though!

Edge: Gomi

Prediction

I’ve been flipping a coin over this bout for a week now. Gauging two weathered fighters is tough, especially when they both still possess the will and desire to win. And make no mistake, neither man wants to drop this fight.

I see a standup bout unfolding for the first two frames, with Gomi stunning Danzig a time or two, but failing to end the fight. When it isn’t Gomi delivering the damage, however, it will be Danzig moving in and out of range, utilizing kicks as well as punches to pick up points on the judges’ cards.

The third round, which we will see, will enable Danzig to seal this deal by taking this one to the mat, where he’ll offer just enough offense to prevent a standup.

Look for a scare early, as Gomi nearly puts out with a hard right hand, but expect Danzig to recover, put himself back on track and exit the octagon with a unanimous 29-28 victory.

Prediction: Mac Danzig via unanimous decision.