Deja Vous – The Death Instinct
Loosely interpreted, Freud's "Death Instinct" is about the "self destructive" urge or impulse within the human animal. When everything is going right there is this feeling inside which wants to stir things up a bit. You're in the perfect relationship, but suddenly you decide to embark on extracurricular activities, or simply said, "We fuck things up for ourselves, tired of the stability or routine." The extreme of course would be to take ones own life. I am not talking about such an extreme; this is a much more subtle example.

"Usually on the day of the fight, I get my tensions up by watching other fights but I didn't have anything I had worked on, in my head I knew what I was supposed to do but the body was honest. Lack of training… after all this is my 11th fight (in PRIDE), I'm tired and I'm also human."

Somewhere Else
So what happens when you lose the fire from the ball or the desire as a champion? In this case, the champion did not choke as much as subconsciously desiring to choke. The fatalistic Takanori Gomi was in no way in fighting mode when he confronted ZST GP Champion Marcus Aurelio, a talented veteran, but in no ways as experienced in MMA or as lethal a fighter. As a fan, I love watching the "pure jiu jitsu" and Aurelio was outstanding in his strategy, but having watched Gomi in action so many times, he was somewhere else, completely distracted from MMA. Some "personal things" might have gone down, and even the preparation for his grappling fell through as his jiu jitsu instructor was injured, but somehow not even replaced. Watching Gomi's reaction after the fight, he seemed rather non-chalant and unmoved by the loss, as if he needed to jump into the icy waters to reinvigorate his desire for the fight.

Gomi felt the big sleep coming on but didn't create many waves to stir clear of Aurelio's game.

No Post Fight Trauma
On April 8th, Gomi, via his web site named Voice, declared that he would be fighting in the upcoming PRIDE Bushido vol. 11 in Saitama Super Arena. Although the welterweight GP begins during this show, Gomi will be fighting in a lightweight bout. In his web site, Gomi also wrote that he wants a rematch with Aurelio as soon as possible, he wants to do it for his own pride, not for somebody else.

Early Warning Signs – Pre Fight Trauma?
In the pre fight press conference Gomi expressed the fact that "I easily get bored with things" and later said that "If the fight goes to the ground, he might win." With comments like this you don't have to be a genius to interpret some kind of existentialism or lack of interest in the tone of the champion. My colleague Ihara attended Gomi's press conference in Tokyo, and in his write up described a very dark Gomi, who barely displayed a three-minute training session for the media, and also described a man who seemed very distracted and uninspired, answering questions with more questions.

Then and Now
In his first ever in depth interview with a foreign journalist in February of 2004, Takanori Gomi was a man scarred by his last two battles, and he had very little self-esteem left at the time. He had recently lost his Shooto belt by decision to the extremely steely Joachim Hansen and then hastily jumped into the Hawaiian cage, with no experience in such an environment, against hometown hero BJ Penn in Hawaii, and got manhandled for the first time in his career and choked out for the first time in MMA.
I remember taking the long train ride out to Kiguchi Gym in the outskirts of Tokyo, and there was Takanori, in this little store front dojo, all by himself, rolling with the dummy, grappling and setting up his ground n pound technique. Of all the places for an interview, we wound up in an Italian restaurant next door, and here was a really modest kid, who was really lacking positive reinforcement. When I asked him what it was like "to be considered the number one fighter in the world, and that every lightweight in the U.S. wanted to fight him" he was truly shocked, because he thought his career was over. He couldn't really explain why he committed the nihilistic act of facing BJ Penn in the cage, except that it was an opportunity, but obviously one that he took while he was down.

Gomi had his first loss when he confronted Joachim Hansen in the Shooto stage.

Lacking the Eye for the Hunt
"I didn't want to tap, I was conscious but he got me in so tight that I really couldn't move. He may have done exactly what he planned."
Takanori Gomi proved to the world that even being one of the best MMA fighters in the world, if you are not focused or don't feel the passion, you can lose in this sharp skilled game. If your head is not into it, then you will definitely predict your own fatalistic outcome.
To always be in top form is extremely difficult in any sport, but particularly in a combat sport, which is so multi faceted. One face of the game can completely take it over, and that lazily executed off balance overhead left Gomi threw cost him the war. Not only did Aurelio finish with the head n shoulder lock, he applied it twice.
The first time it foreshadowed Gomi's fate, and his expression was that of a man who knew he was condemned into grappling purgatory. What was really amazing though, was that Gomi could even wind up here in the first place. As a grappler, he was beaten by a peaking Matt Serra in ADCC World Championships many moons ago, but here, he had none of the explosiveness that he has developed since. Although he is froma judo, boxing, and wrestling background, he looked like a stand up fighter who had just stepped into MMA for the first time.

No Tears
When Gomi got off the ground, it was hard to tell if there where tears or only sweat, he seemed resigned but not at all shocked or surprised or shattered. He got up like a full-blown man congratulating his opponent unflinchingly, and absorbing this very new experience. Perhaps this was the fresh air and lost experience, which he needed to reinvigorate himself, since sometimes even losing is a positive experience.

Gomi's first belt was taken from his mentor Hayato "Mach" Sakurai also from Kiguchi Gym.

Rematch
Weather Aurelio gives Gomi a rematch any time soon is anyone’s guess. One could not blame the veteran Brazilan ATT fighter for savoring the experience, but basking in a non title victory for too long might not prove to be wise in this rapid paced MMA game which has so much talent coming and going. Hopefully Aurelio's corner will let him strike while the iron is hot, and not protect him from another encounter with the world's still greatest lightweight, Takanori Gomi. If MMA is about consistency, then Gomi has proven to be very consistent with only two losses after an initial fourteen straight wins, followed by ten victories and his first defeat in over two and a half years. (First defeat ever in PRIDE)
It reminds me a bit of Matt Hughes, who was made short work of by BJ Penn with a rear naked choke in the first round, but the only difference is that it was a title fight. I suppose that what is even more interesting here is that this story keeps ringing the name BJ Penn. Perhaps he is really the man to beat at this weight, gnawing at both champions subconscious?

And Now
A few days after sharing some pasta and pizza in Tokyo with Gomi, he achieved a victory in his PRIDE Bushido debut taking out Jadson Costa by TKO. Our worth and esteem is measured and built not only by ourselves, but how others perceive us. The kid was so excited to know that he was recognized world wide, that his desire to prove this bloomed into a ten-fight fire. Now that he has proven that he is bored with being number one Ichiban, he must re grasp that fire and rekindle that desire for victory that was lost to "boredom." Hopefully Gomi has already gotten bored with losing, and is itching to get back on the winning track.

Other Photos & PRIDE Bushido vol. 10 Official Results >>