Mixed Martial Art Champion Takanori Gomi Caught on a Date!
PRIDE" first lightweight champion, "Fireball Boy," was unexpectedly caught on a date.
One night in late March, when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. There was a man with a deadly glint in his eye that looked out of place in the bustling downtown area.
The blond-haired, macho, and handsome man was a “legend” that martial arts fans would recognize at a glance. He is Takanori Gomi, 43, the first lightweight champion of “PRIDE,” nicknamed “Fireball Boy” for his ultra-aggressive fighting style.
For a long time, he reigned as the ace of the lightweight division in the Japanese mixed martial arts world. At the end of last year, he clashed with Tenshin Nasukawa (23) in his last match in “RIZIN”. The result was a draw, but he never backed down from Tenshin, who is still active, and the two fought a fierce striking battle that thrilled the audience.
The dangerous “fireball boy” was watching a car passing by on the main street that night.
At his feet were two adorable poodles. They were his beloved dogs, Lala and Gonta. Right behind him was a beautiful woman in a pure white coat and natural makeup, a model-like woman in her twenties.
Her laughter, which could be heard occasionally in the darkness, was capricious. It seems that walking the dog has turned into a splendid date.
We went to a gym in Kanagawa Prefecture. After this, they had a chat in a nearby park with a man who seemed to be her acquaintance, and then went to her apartment.The two went directly to the martial arts gym where Gomi is the president. Inside, a man who appeared to be a trainee was sweating it out. Gomi left his dog on a leash with the beautiful woman and began to instruct her. She watched quietly as he did so.
After about 30 minutes of instruction, the two and their dog went to the supermarket to get some groceries, and then returned to Gomi’s apartment.
Up to this point, Gomi has been a martial arts fighter. Who is the beautiful woman who knocked out the “fireball boy,” who has remained unmarried up to this point? We asked Gomi himself.
–It’s Friday.
“What, for me?”
–The other day, I saw you walking your dog with a model-like woman.
“Oh… she’s a fellow dog lover I met through her dog.”
–You were going to your home, but are you finally going to put an end to your 23-year-old bachelorhood?
“No, no, I have two dogs, so it’s hard to bring them home,…… and colorful love is a specialty of Koji (32), isn’t it (laughs). I’m good.”
–(Laughs.) – So she is definitely a woman with whom you have a close relationship?
“I hope to get to know her better in the future.”
–On June 19, “THE MATCH 2022,” a martial arts mega-event, will be held, in which Tenshin, who fought Gomi on New Year’s Eve last year, will clash with Takeru (30). Who will Gomi fight?
“Ask Mr. Nobuyuki Sakakibara of “RIZIN” about that. I mean, you can fight Sakakibara-san, since he announced his participation on Twitter on April 1 (laughs). No matter who I fight, I want to win by KO so that I can give courage to people of my age.”
Will he be able to make a good impression in both his personal and professional life?
From the May 6 and 13, 2022 issue of “FRIDAY
Photographed by： Kojiro Yamada
