Jared Gooden, a seasoned mixed martial arts fighter, has announced his retirement from the sport.
The veteran of 34 fights shared this news on social media on Monday, marking the end of his 10-year career in MMA, which included two stints in the UFC. Gooden, 31, made the decision to retire after his recent defeat to Mahamed Aly at a Shogun Fights event in Hanover, Maryland, last Saturday.
In his announcement, Gooden explained his decision, stating, “I want to take this time to let everybody know that my time has come. I’m walking away from the sport. Thank you to everyone who’s helped me along my journey, to get me to where I have been in life. But to be honest, I just don’t have the love or the passion for it anymore like I used to when I was younger.”
Gooden also mentioned that he intends to dedicate his time to raising his daughter and exploring new opportunities.
“I’m going to hang up my gloves for now, and I’m excited to share what I’ll be doing next in life,” Gooden added.
During his two periods in the UFC, “Nite Train” achieved two victories out of seven fights with the promotion. He first entered the UFC in 2020, losing to Alan Jouban at UFC 255. Subsequently, he won one of his next three bouts, notably a first-round knockout against Niklas Stoltze.
Gooden left the UFC in 2021 but successfully returned to the octagon in 2023. However, in his second run, he secured only one win in three fights – a second-round submission victory over Wellington Turman – before returning to regional competitions.
He retires with a professional MMA record of 23 wins and 11 losses.
