Short notice means nothing to Jared Gooden, who showed up at UFC Vegas 33 and put Niklas Stolze out with a beautiful straight right hand in the first round.
Stolze came out early with a spinning back kick to the midsection of Gooden which sent him flying back a bit, but it took no time for Jared to get his bearings and began to land on Stolze.
This KO win breaks a two-fight losing streak for Gooden who was very much on the chopping block coming into the event.
An all angle look at that @JGNitetrain23 KO! 🤯 #UFCVegas33 pic.twitter.com/XzGcGcLd9i
— UFC (@ufc) August 1, 2021
For Stolze it’s his second consecutive defeat in the octagon and puts him on notice that he may be on his way out with another loss.
Initially, Stolze was scheduled to face Mounir Lazzez, in a fight that was briefly expected to serve as the Fight Night card’s co-main event. When Lazzez dropped out, Jared Gooden stepped up on short notice. The pairing was dropped down the card, but at least Stolze had a fight.
Then, earlier on Saturday, news broke, confirmed by UFC officials, that Stolze vs. Gooden was off the card. Mere hours later, another report, also confirmed by UFC officials, announced the fight as being back on again. COVID-19 protocols had briefly led to the fight’s cancellation, but neither man had actually tested positive for the coronavirus, and a doctor had given the green light for the bout to proceed.
It all paid off for Gooden who earns his first win in the UFC.
Official Result: Jared Gooden def. Niklas Stolze by KO, Round 1, 1:08
