Pros Pick: Florian vs. Gomi

The UFC will treat North Carolinians to one intriguing main event when Kenny Florian meets former Pride Fighting Championships lightweight titleholder Takanori Gomi at UFC Fight Night 21 on Wednesday at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C. Who wins remains anyone’s guess.

Sherdog.com recently gathered predictions from a number of professional fighters and trainers to gauge how they think the headliner will play out.

Jason Lambert: Florian by TKO.

Nick Thompson: Derrick Noble and I discussed this fight over one of our nightly strolls. Noble said he really likes how Gomi can just give you a pounding.

Pat Miletich: The Gomi-Florian fight is one that could define Florian as a fighter. Kenny must be able to stop takedowns and avoid the boxing slugfest with Gomi. Gomi’s obvious gameplan will be to stay in Florian’s face, make him slug and then hit takedowns. Kenny must use feints and level changes that he lacked against [B.J.] Penn. Penn was able to win that fight because Florian was predictable. Every time Florian moved forward, he was throwing real offense; he can’t do that with Gomi and has to keep him guessing as to what is real and what is not. Florian also needs to avoid the scrambles on the ground, as I think Gomi has an edge in wrestling and has an edge in the scrambles. Kenny can win if he simply controls distance, pace and uses a lot of misdirection. This will keep Gomi from setting his feet for power punching and takedowns. Florian also needs to stay off the cage to avoid Gomi putting the muscle on him. I’m a fan of Kenny Florian, so I have to root for him. He can pull this off if he fights a smart fight.

Tyron Woodley: With the exception of B.J. Penn, Kenny has pretty much smashed the lightweight division. I don’t think anything will change with Gomi. Gomi needs to get close to attack and get those tricky submissions. Kenny’s length, composure and skills will seal the deal.

Mac Danzig: Florian wins this one. Gomi hasn’t looked like the guy who won the [Pride] lightweight grand prix since, well, since the lightweight grand prix. On top of that, he has never done too well outside of Japan. Florian has gotten a lot better in recent years, and I think this is a good matchup for him. If he wins like I’d expect him to, maybe they can have him fight Gray Maynard. I think that would be a much more competitive fight than this one.

Patrick Cote: I’ll go with Florian. He will be too much in every aspect for Gomi.

Brian Warren: Kenny has been getting better and better. I believe he wins this fight.

Stephane Vigneault: Florian all the way. He is with the best team, the best training partners, etc. Florian [is taking] on Gomi at the right time. I see Kenny winning that one by unanimous decision.

Gabe Ruediger: Gomi hasn’t been the number one lightweight in the world in a long time. And his last performance in the U.S. didn’t turn out so good for him. Florian has been improving each and every fight. Gomi does have power in his hands, though, and if he lands clean, it can be it. That being said, Florian should win by decision or late submission.

Lee Mein: The quality of competition in Japan is not at the level that Florian has faced in the UFC. That being said, Gomi is a talented fighter and is dangerous on many levels. I give the win to Florian by KO, second round, and you can take that to the bank.

Ray Elbe: Poor Gomi. Facing “KenFlo” as your first fight in the UFC is a difficult matchup. Kenny Florian wins this fight, proving once and for all that you can’t hit the piñata with chopsticks.

Mike Ciesnolevicz: I am going to go with Gomi by TKO or decision. I think Gomi might not be the fighter he once was, but I think “KenFlo” is gonna be out-powered a bit in this fight. I think Gomi hits harder, and I think Gomi has the advantage in the wrestling department. Maybe Florian submits him but not likely in my opinion.

Benji Radach: Oh boy, this is a tough one. I haven’t seen Gomi fight in a while. I watched B.J. and Gomi fight in Hawaii, and that was a one-sided fight. I’m sure Gomi has improved since then. Since I have to pick, I’m going to go with Gomi. I love to watch him fight, and he is very precise with his stand-up. I could also see a big, gnarly cut from Florian, however.

Robin Black: Kenny Florian should get the win in this one. Gomi is a great fighter, but he’s not the Takanori Gomi he once was. And Kenny is just so good everywhere and so mentally strong. Kenny will finish the fight in the second round.

Billy MacDonald: I can’t wait to see this fight. After 15 exciting minutes, I see Kenny Florian getting his hand raised. Florian via unanimous decision.

Keith Berry: Kenny Florian has come a long way, and I think he is one of the best 155ers around. On the other hand, Gomi is just a bad ass. After I saw him fight Nick Diaz in Pride, I was forever a Gomi fan, so I’m going with Gomi by KO in the second.

Marcus Davis: Kenny all day, anywhere, anytime. Kenny is not only one of the smartest fighters in the UFC, but [he’s] super technical everywhere. I’ll say Kenny by submission in the second.

Michael Guymon: This is gonna be one hell of a fight. I think you’re gonna see lots of action from both fighters. Kenny will have the advantage in the striking department, with his use of the elbows. Kenny wins this one with strikes.

Tom Gavrilos: Big fan of Gomi but curious to see how he handles his first time in the UFC and the cage. Florian by strikes

Pros who picked Florian: 14
Pros who picked Gomi: 4
Pros who could not decide: 1

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