Takanori "The Fireball Kid" Gomi got himself back on track at UFC 144, defeating Eiji Mitsuoka by second-round TKO.
It was a come-from-behind victory for Gomi, who was badly rocked by a right hook in the first and then caught in a mounted triangle.
However, Gomi somehow survived that rocky first round and came out aggressive in the second.
Mitsuoka was noticeably fatigued going into Round 2 and Gomi was able to capitalize. Smelling blood in the water, Gomi overwhelmed Mitsuoka with a vicious combination, forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight.
With the win, Gomi has avoided his third-straight loss in the UFC and perhaps silenced some of the critics who were calling for his retirement. Although the victory will likely do little to advance his position in the lightweight division, it will certainly allow Gomi to keep his job with the UFC.
After the fight, Gomi claimed that the is back. But is he really?
As nice as it was to see Gomi win, let's not chalk this up to anything more than it was.
This was not a legendary fighter returning to form and sparking one last run towards the belt. This was a passed his prime legend struggling to defeat a fighter who doesn't even belong in the UFC.
After all, this was Mitsuoka Octagon debut. He was brought in for a bit of nostalgia, as both he and Gomi are Pride veterans.
It was a good win for Gomi, but it does not mean he's back to being the dominant force he once was. Gomi still probably does not have much of a shot against any one of the UFC's top-10 lightweight fighters.
Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. For updates on what's happening in the world of MMA, follow him on Twitter @AndrewBarr8
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