Ex-Pride Star Takanori Gomi Looks to Halt Four-Bout Skid at UFC Fight Night 117 in Japan

Former Pride Fighting Championships star Takanori Gomi will attempt to get back into the win column when he locks horns with “Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim at UFC Fight Night 117 in Japan.

The promotion recently announced the lightweight pairing. UFC Fight Night 117 takes place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Sept. 22 and is headlined by a light heavyweight rematch between Ovince St. Preux and Mauricio Rua.

Once viewed as the top lightweight in the world during a tear that saw him win 14 of 15 Pride appearances, Gomi has fallen on hard times in the UFC. “The Fireball Kid” enters the matchup on a four-fight losing streak, which includes a first-round submission defeat to Jon Tuck at UFC Fight Night 111 on June 17. Gomi is 4-8 during his tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Kim suffered knockout defeats in his first two Octagon appearances but rebounded to outpoint Brendan O’Reilly in his most recent appearance at “The Ultimate Fighter 24” finale. The 28-year-old South Korean owns a 14-8-3 career record overall.