#9 Nick Diaz submits Takanori Gomi with a Gogoplata
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This was PRIDE’s matchmaking at it’s best – the brash American versus the decorated hometown legend. Diaz was by no means a novice, but many doubted his odds against the 2005 Fighter of the Year and then PRIDE Lightweight Champion, Takanori Gomi.
The first round was a firefight, with “The Fireball Kid” giving Diaz’s famed chin all it could handle in the onset. Diaz gave twice as good as he got as the round wore on and when the bell sounded, Gomi looked like he had just swum across a sea after being chased by hounds.
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As soon as the bell signalled the second round, Diaz smelled blood. Out of desperation, a fatigued and frustrated Gomi shot for a slipshod takedown. Fans who are aware of this submission, know that the reason for its rarity is the contortionist-like flexibility needed to snap it in.
For pro-wrestling fans, this is the submission The Undertaker has adopted as “the Hell’s Gate”. But Diaz’s razor-sharp BJJ made it look as natural as a young lion hunting a gazelle. Years later, McGregor-vanquisher and Nick’s younger brother Nate submitted Gomi with an armbar.
