Gomi to Battle Pang at Sengoku IV

Former Pride Fighting Championships titleholder Takanori Gomi (Pictures) will lock horns with reigning Deep lightweight champion Sung Hwan Pang (Pictures) in a featured bout at Sengoku IV on Aug. 24 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. World Victory Road announced the matchup, along with the pairings for its inaugural Sengoku lightweight grand prix, earlier this week.

Rumors had swirled around the possibility of Gomi (28-3) facing International Fight League standout Chris Horodecki (Pictures). Instead, he will carry his four-fight winning streak into his bout with Pang. The 29-year-old Gomi has not competed since March when he stopped Duane Ludwig (Pictures) on a first-round cut at Sengoku’s debut show. High-profile wins over former UFC champion Jens Pulver (Pictures), Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures) and Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) buoy Gomi’s resume.

Pang (5-1), meanwhile, has pieced together a five-fight winning streak since he dropped his professional debut to Seichi Ikemoto (Pictures) last year. The South Korean knocked out the previously unbeaten Kazunori Yokoto at Deep 35 Impact in May to capture the promotion’s lightweight crown.

In addition to the Gomi-Pang bout, World Victory Road announced the participants for its first Sengoku lightweight grand prix.

They include reigning International Fight League champion Ryan Schultz (Pictures), who will collide with Mizuto Hirota (Pictures) in the opening round of the tournament. Based out of the revered Team Quest camp, Schultz will enter the draw with six consecutive wins, a streak that includes his memorable TKO victory over then undefeated Chris Horodecki (Pictures) in December. Hirota, a veteran of the Cage Force and Shooto promotions, has never been finished in 11 career bouts. He has knocked out his last three opponents.

Remaining grand prix matchups pit Eiji Mitsuoka (Pictures) against Rodrigo Damm (Pictures), Satoru Kitaoka (Pictures) against Clay French (Pictures) and Kazunori Yokota (Pictures) against Bojan Kosedar.

The Sengoku IV lineup will also feature a middleweight showdown pairing former Icon Sport champion Frank Trigg (Pictures) with Makoto Takimoto (Pictures) and a heavyweight bout between decorated Australian kickboxer Peter Graham (Pictures) and Europe Top Team’s Moise Rimbon.