When it was over, the crowd at CotaiArena in Macau seemed as torn as the judges. Some cheered the decision, and some booed it. Nevertheless, Takanori Gomi will go home happy, handed a split-decision win after three rounds of action at UFC on FUEL 6.
Two judges scored it 29-28 for him while the third scored it 29-28 for Danzig.
The fight was relatively close from the beginning. Gomi, who is often a slow starter, came out with some urgency in the first round, throwing a series of combinations early, and scoring a takedown all within the first half of the round. Danzig returned to his feet quickly however without taking damage and scored with some knees from a clinch. He also scored a takedown of his own with about 20 seconds left and scored with some left hands as the opening five minutes expired.
Danzig had the fight's most dramatic moment in the second when he threatened with a guillotine in the round's final moments. Gomi briefly had space but Danzig rolled to his back to try to lock it in, but the round expired before he could close.
Gomi did land the round's best strike when he briefly dislodged Danzig's mouthpiece with a hard right hand.
Danzig came back in the third with a series of uppercuts from the clinch but Gomi's conditioning held up and he contested everything as the fight went to the judges.
The victory marks Gomi's second straight octagon triumph, improving his overall record to 34-8 with 1 no contest.
Danzig understandably threw his hands up in frustration when the decision was read, but regardless, he's now lost two of his last three in falling to 21-10-1.