Jared Gooden vs. Chidi Njokuani Prediction, Picks, Time: UFC Vegas 98

Jared Gooden and Chidi Njokuani meet on the main card of UFC Fight Night 244 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

Last event: 3-2
UFC main cards, 2024: 84-74-3

Jared Gooden vs. Chidi Njokuani UFC Fight Night 244 preview

Gooden (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) continues his second stint in the UFC with his first fight in 2024 and hopes to stay on the winning track. In December, Gooden submitted Wellington Turman to claim his first win since returning to the promotion in March 2023. … Njokuani (23-10 MMA, 3-3 UFC) is entering his second fight of the year following a split decision win over Rhys McKee in March. The close result gave Njokuani relief as he was three fights behind.

Jared Gooden vs. Chidi Njokuani UFC Fight Night 244 Expert Pick, Prediction

An action fight between Njokuani and Gooden serves as a solid performance at 170 pounds.

Whether they win or lose, both men tend to find themselves in awkward affairs (when they’re not with strong wrestlers).

While I believe Njokuani is the more experienced fighter of the two, I find it difficult to rely on the 35-year-old to maintain his offense or overall pace at this point in his career.

Gooden may be prone to getting injured early in competitions, but he has proven that he can come back and win when his opponent is unable to finish the job.

Add to that the fact that Njokuani is once again subjecting his body to another cruel welterweight beating, and I’ll half-reluctantly side with Gooden to survive an early storm and get a finish in Round 2.

Jared Gooden vs Chidi Njokuani UFC Fight Night 244 odds

The oddsmakers and the public favor the more experienced fighter, calling Gooden +148 and Njokuani -184 via FanDuel.

Jared Gooden vs. Chidi Njokuani UFC Fight Night 244 start time, how to watch

Gooden and Njokuani are expected to head to the cage around 8:35 p.m. ET (5:35 p.m. PT). The fight will be streamed on ESPN+.