Sonnen retired yesterday. Everyone's acting like he's a legend or something. I remember in the middle of Sonnen's career, no one gave a fuck about him before he started running his mouth. That's why he was underdogs in pretty much of his most of UFC fights, leading up to fighting Anderson, and no one was surprised when Maia literally put his ball into Sonnen's mouth and tapped him out under two minutes or so.
On the other hand, Gomi doesn't seem to be getting a whole lot of respect around here, and they are acting like Khabib is the best lightweight of all time or something. I mean, you can't fix stupid, but I mean, Diaz out of all people didn't wanna fight Gomi because he respected Gomi too much, Guida I think said he looked up to Gomi coming up and watching him fight, Miller, Lauzon, and so on, just tons of respect shown his way while kicking his ass.
But Gomi was getting his ass kicked BEFORE coming into the UFC against nobodies, but in his absolute prime, Gomi was the shit, and unlike Khabib, Gomi isn't a former welterweight who cut into lightweight cutting HUGE amount of weight either.
Gomi beat Sakurai, who was the number 1 welterweight in 2001 until he lost to Anderson. When Gomi beat Sakurai, Sakurai was 27-6-2, only losing to guys like Anderson, Matt Hughes, Jake Shields, Ryo Chonan who was kicking Anderon's ass till he tapped him out in highlight reel fashion, and two gracies, all above lightweight.
When Gomi beat Jens, who was number 1 lightweight in 2002, who beat BJ Penn, and Jens had a record of 18-4-1.
People bring up BJ Penn fight all the time, without mentioning, that it was Gomi's first fight in the cage. EVER. He literally fought in BJ Penn's backyard, as much as humanly possible, fighting in Hawaii in BJ's organization. THere was a BS stand up in the second round, and it was tied 1 a piece going into the third round, and BJ Penn fought like Sean Sherk spamming takedowns after takedowns. For reference, Melendez picked that fight his best fight or lightweight fight, can't remember exactly but something along that line. A fight after, BJ Penn would tap out Matt Hughes too, so what's the shame in that necessarily, and as great as BJ Penn was, he didn't really stick around long enough at lightweight like Gomi did.
Gomi beat Kawajiri when he was 15-2-2, his lone two losses coming from the first round RNc loss in the very first fight, and to Riberio in 2002, who would be the number 1 lightweight in the world in 2004, and he would go onto wrestlefuck the life out of someone like Josh Thomson. It's little insane how Josh Thomson out of all people gets more respect on here than Gomi around here. Who really cared about that Josh Thomson?
Gomi also beat Ishida, when Ishida was 14-2-2, whose lone two losses also come from the debut loss and to Riberio in 2004, who was the number 1 lightweight in the world in 2004. And guess who Ishida wrestlefucked, after getting finished in the first round by Gomi? Gilbert.
Gomi broke Nick Diaz's face in Las Vegas. Stopped Ludwig in the first round on the feet, also breaking his nose, I believe. Gomi outboxed Bang Tae Hyun, who has an amatuer boxing background in Korea, who also would go onto outbox Masvidal, yea that Masvidal, in a next fight, but then get robbed hard of a decision win, and this was when Gomi was on his decline too.
And as washed up as Gomi was, you know Gomi got robbed against Diego also.
Thing is, Gomi, in the history of MMA, is the only lightweight fighter to be the number 1 pound for pound fighter on this Sherdog website, sharing the same platform with Fedor Emelianenko.
I laught as people like Dustin Poirer thinking like he's the greatest lightweight fighter if he beats Khabib, or Khabib himself. Gomi would have shat on Poirer and wiped his ass with his tattoos. There are fighters who could give Gomi trouble, and Poirer isn't one of them.
Gomi is as washed up as anyone in the history of this game, on par with Chuck Liddel, but just fighting more. But if a scrub like Sonnen is getting the respect he does, or even Machida, who in my opinion, is a step below Gomi, and yes I've been following Machida's career more than you have and remember good times when Machida was another Okami, then Gomi deserves some love in this forum.
Because no lightweight was ever good enough to be named the top pound for pound fighter in the world on Sherdog, and Gomi IS the best lightweight ever.
