In a battle of prospect vs. veteran, Myles Jury and Takanori Gomi will collide this Saturday (Sept. 20, 2014) at UFC Fight Night 52 inside the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. With a lot on the line, what adjustments can either fighter make to prevail? Read our fight preview and find out!
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweights Myles Jury and Takanori Gomi will scrap this Saturday (Sept. 20, 2014) at UFC Fight Night 52 inside the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, live on UFC Fight Pass.
Though he failed to win his season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), Myles Jury has largely looked sensational in his Octagon career. The scrappy 25-year-old has won his first five fights and carries with him an undefeated professional record. All in all, "Fury" appears to be Alliance MMA's next big thing.
Takanori Gomi experienced a bit of a career revival in the last couple years. Were it not for incompetent judges and their fondness of Diego Sanchez, Gomi would be on a four fight win streak of his own. Now, he'll pit his experience and punching power against Jury's tactical brilliance and seamless transitional skills.
Myles Jury
Record: 14-0
Key Wins: Michael Johnson (UFC 155), Ramsey Nijem (UFC on FOX 7), Diego Sanchez (UFC 171)
Key Losses: None
Keys to Victory: Jury is a very well-rounded fighter, evidenced by his seven knockouts and four submission victories. The jiu-jitsu black belt packs a strong range striking game, excellent footwork, and dominating wrestling.
For a young fighter, Jury fights exceptionally smart. For example, his ability to utterly nullify Diego Sanchez was technically brilliant. Whenever Sanchez tried to strike technically, Jury would easily beat him to the punch. Then, when Sanchez attempted to swarm, "Fury" put him on his back easily.
Against Gomi, Jury needs to follow a similar game plan. "The Fireball Kid" packs an enormous punch, but he's hardly the fastest or biggest fighter in the division. So long as Jury focuses on avoiding Gomi's fastball-esque punches, he'll remain safe.
While staying defensive, Jury can pick his shots. With his kicks and long punches, Jury will be able to out-strike Gomi without much effort. Gomi will likely miss often, which helps sap his conditioning even quicker.
A fresh Gomi has a chance to knock Jury's block off. An exhausted one does not.
If Gomi gets frustrated, he'll likely charge at Jury with whipping punches. When he does, Jury must change levels and shoot for a takedown. Once he has Gomi down, he can focus on wearing him down and eventually securing a submission.
Takanori Gomi
Record: 35-9 (1)
Key Wins: Issac Vallie-Flagg (UFC 172), Tyson Griffin (UFC on Versus 2), Jens Pulver (Pride Shockwave 2004)
Key Losses: Clay Guida (UFC 125), Kenny Florian (UFC Fight Night 21)
Keys to Victory: Gomi is in for a rough stylistic match up here. His opponent is younger, bigger, and a bit more technical in each area of fighting.
Luckily, Gomi packs a brutal punch, just ask 13 of his past opponents.
It's important that Gomi does not reach with his punches. If he gets evens slightly off-balance, Jury will be in on his hips quickly. Considering Gomi's historic difficulties with submission grapplers, he does not want the talented young black belt on top of him.
Instead, Gomi needs to focus on cutting off the cage. Jury uses a lot of movement, but he has to respect Gomi's power. If "The Fireball Kid" uses his feints to push Jury back to the fence, he's in a better position to attack.
The problem is that Jury knows this. Sanchez was able to get Jury's back to the cage but was taken down the moment he swung hard. In order to not fall into this same trip, Gomi has to punch both hard and smart.
With Jury against the cage, Gomi should first attack to the body. Not only is it a large target that could slow Jury down, but "Fury" does not want to duck into a punch. Similarly, Gomi should mix in uppercuts or even an occasional knee; anything to make Jury hesitate with his shot.
It won't be easy, but Gomi has a chance at victory if he can fight smart.
Bottom Line: These men are in very different parts of their career, and it shows in the bout's relevance.
This is a bit of a lose-lose for Jury. He's currently ranked ninth in the world and is fighting someone whose prime was in the mid-2000s. Worse, his opponent can punch like a man twice his size. If Jury makes a mistake and is caught by a punch, he could watch all the momentum he's built up disappear quickly.
There's too many quality lightweights to slip up now.
Unfortunately for "Fury," a win doesn't help him much, either. It's well known that Gomi is past his prime and is no longer a contender. Paychecks are always nice, but Jury won't advance himself in the division with even the most dominant win.
At this point in Gomi's career, his fights have little impact on the rest of the division. Rather, it's all about whether "The Fireball Kid" wants to continue fighting. He's more than a couple losses away from being cut, so it will likely be up to Gomi if he stops fighting for the UFC in the next couple years. Win or lose, Gomi's future with the company is largely his own to decide.
Something not a lot of fighters can say.
At UFC Fight Night 52, Myles Jury and Takanori Gomi will find out who is the superior lightweight. Which man will leave the cage with a victory?
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