” … it’s the return, my mental mindset in coming back. Day by day, my chances become fewer and fewer, and the window to challenge myself overseas gets smaller and smaller. The opportunities are less and less now…. My time is running out … I’d like to relax for a little bit, and if I continue fighting, I’d like to test the waters overseas…. Yeah, one fight at time. I want to help out my teammates and just take things one fight at a time… I’m coming soon! The Fireball Kid will be there!” [Laughs] I’d like to thank all of you [international fans], and continue to thank you for supporting me and MMA. You guys are important, and I’ll continue to do my best. Oh, and tell Dana White I said, ‘hi!’”

-Former Pride FC lightweight kingpin Takanori Gomi recently spoke with Sherdog.com about the outlook of his fighting future. Gomi is coming off a much needed win over Takashi Nakakura at Shooto: “The Final Tradition” this past weekend. The win snapped a two-fighting losing streak Gomi had compiled against Sergey Golyaev and Satoru Kitaoka.

"The Fireball Kid" truly hasn't looked the same since losing to Nick Diaz at Pride 33; the loss was later overturned to a "No Contest" due to Diaz failing a drug test. Gomi went 13-1 under the Pride banner, with notable wins over Jens Pulver, Luiz Azeredo, Mitsuhiro Ishida, Tatsuya Kawajiri and Hayato "Mach" Sakurai. Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, bought Japan's Pride FC in 2007 when Gomi came close to signing with the UFC. It would seem logical for Gomi to sign with the UFC as the aging lightweight (now 30) could be running out of time to sign with a premier MMA organization.