LAS VEGAS, NV – OCTOBER 12: (Right) Chidi Njokuani punches Jared Gooden in a welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 12, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
In the main card middleweight bout at UFC Vegas 98, Chidi Njokuani and Jared Gooden will be looking for their second straight win.
A hasty exchange to start the Njokuani vs. Gooden match resulted in Gooden getting a quick takedown but was unable to continue the match. Njokuani instead rose to his feet, but Gooden pressed his weight against the fence.
The action stays there for a while, but Njokuani reverses position and fires a few knees, looking for an opening to do more damage. The round had a lot of clinch work and ended with the two men glaring at each other after the horn as the referee sent them to their respective corners.
More clinch work occurred in the second round, with the pair again spending significant time on the fence. Njokuani especially landed a powerful knee kick to the body at about the third minute, and also mixed in an elbow strike from above. His strikes in the clinch quickly reached double digits, but Jared Gooden couldn’t seem to lift his hips off the cage.
In the third round, Gooden looked for a takedown at about 90 seconds, but couldn’t get it. They then returned to the center, where Njokuani looked deadly. Powerful punches and head kick attempts highlighted the damage potential. This forced Gooden to move up the rankings again. The problem was that he was also losing the clinch exchanges throughout most of the match.
Official result: Chidi Njokuani def. Jared Gooden unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
