Chidi Njokuani was able to get the better of Jared Gooden wherever the fight went tonight at UFC Fight Night 244 to win by unanimous decision.
Round One:
Gooden presses forward with jabs. Njokuani with a knee, but Gooden uses that to take him down. Njokuani sweeps and looks to get back up, but Gooden is clinched up and takes him down again.
Njokuani stands again and Gooden presses him into the cage. Njokuani able to reverse the clinch position and lands a few knees. Knee to the body from Gooden too.
Njokuani gets a bit of room to land a harder knee to the body then closes that distance again. Elbow from Njokuani and another knee. More knees from Njokuani to the midsection. Gooden struggling to break free here so he tries to throw a few strikes. Njokuani just sticking doggedly to his knee strikes.
Gooden finally moves and gets around to the back of Njokuani looking for a takedown. It doesn’t pay off though and it’s soon back to Njokuani being the one leading the clinch against the cage and going back to the knees. The round ends and both fighters stare each other down at close range before returning to their corners.
Round Two:
Inside leg kick for Njokuani and then another kick behind it. Jabs from Gooden. Body kick for Njokuani.
Long left hand and an inside leg kick from Njokuani. Hooks from Gooden off the guard. Body punch from Gooden. Njokuani comes close with a head kick. Njokuani tries for a knee but Gooden is able to clinch and work him over to the cage.
Njokuani quickly reverses the clinch position. Knees and an elbow strike from him. Another nice elbow lands. And again. Back to knees. Njokuani really beating up that midsection now with these knees and mixing in the occasional elbow strike inbetween.
Elbow strike from Gooden as tries to break free, but he can’t get Njokuani off him and so has to endure more knees in return. Back to the elbows and now he mixes in a spinning elbow that doesn’t pay off.
Gooden finally escapes. Big body kick from Njokuani. Low kick and an elbow from Njokuani. Head kick attempt from Gooden at the end of the round misses.
Round Three:
Body kicks from Njokuani. Gooden tries to punch his way into range, but Njokuani gets away with footwork. Nice knee to the body for Njokuani.
Njokuani clinches up, but Gooden counters by landing a trip takedown. Njokuani kicks him away and tries to stand. There’s a scramble and he does get to his feet, but Gooden is still clinched up looking for another takedown.
Njokuani stays up on his feet though and gets away to striking range. jab for Gooden. Punch from Njokuani and then a big knee upstairs that lands and forces Gooden to turn away for a moment, clearly hurt.
Gooden digs deep to stay composed. He’s able to clinch up against the cage. Gooden attempts a lateral drop, but just ends up dragging Njokuani down on top of him. Njokuani in mount, but Gooden brings him back to half-guard.
Gooden trying for a kimura, but Njokuani gets his arm free. Elbow strikes for Njokuani. Kimura sweep attempt from Gooden, but Njokuani defends and ends up working from inside Gooden’s guard.
30 seconds to go. Njokuani passes to side control and lands elbows. Gooden gets to his knees now. Njokuani back into half-guard. He lands an elbow. A few hammerfists and punches land before the fight comes to a close.
Decision:
No doubt about the winner here with Njokuani being the better of the two in the striking exchanges, dominant in the clinch and even getting the better of the action on the mat too on his way to a unanimous decision victory (30-27 x3).
