Seven-Time UFC Veteran Jared Gooden Announces Retirement

A lack of competitive drive and a new venture into fatherhood has prompted Jared Gooden to walk away from mixed martial arts.

The seven-time Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran announced his retirement in a video on social media.

“I want to take this time to let everybody know my time has come. I’m walking away from the sport. Thank you to everybody who’s helped me along my journey,” Gooden said. “To be honest with you guys, I just don’t have the love or the passion I had for it anymore, like I did when I was younger. I keep everything pretty private, but me and this amazing woman brought a beautiful baby girl into this world, and my focus is on her now. I’m going to hang up my gloves for now, and I can’t wait to let you guys know what I’m going to do next in life.”

Thank you So Much to Everyone! 14 Amazing Years! Time to say Goodbye
All Luv pic.twitter.com/QCoYxjjYku

— Jared Gooden (@JGNiteTrain23) March 31, 2025

A native of Atlanta, the 31-year-old Gooden exits the sport with a 23-10 career mark. He went 2-5 over two separate stints in the UFC, earning victories against Wellington Turman and Niklas Stolze. He last appeared at UFC Fight Night 244, where he suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Chidi Njokuani this past October. Gooden was a title holder on the regional scene with National Fighting Championship, and he also competed for organizations such as Legacy Fighting Alliance and Titan Fighting Championship.