Issue 211
December 2024
E. Spencer Kyte interviews Chase Hooper to discover how he evolved from a teenage phenom to a rising force in the lightweight division.
Anchoring. This psychological phenomenon is where a value is the baseline in someone’s mind, with all future values weighed against that anchor. It’s like how a new car seems like a great deal when you learn the fully loaded model costs $20,000 more, or a house looks too expensive because it previously sold for way less than its current asking price. The perception of UFC lightweight Chase Hooper is a perfect example of the anchoring in MMA.
“I think that is definitely a big factor still,” says Hooper, referring to people carrying their first impressions of him forward. “It’s funny because whenever I meet people, whether it’s other fighters or just fans, 90 percent of the time, they’re like, ‘You’re a lot bigger than I thought you would be.’ People are comparing me to when I was 18 or when I was 20, and it’s been quite a bit of time since then, and I’ve put on the muscle.”
UP AND COMER
Hooper turned up on the UFC radar on the second season of Dana White’s Contender Series. At 18, this Washington native was known as ‘The Teenage Dream.’ With his bushel of curls, he looked like the kid stocking supermarket shelves. He earned victory and left Vegas with a developmental contract, with Dana White noting Hooper was too young to compete. At the end of 2019, the UFC came calling, pairing Hooper with David Teymur at UFC 245. He won by TKO, burying Teymur under a storm of elbows. It was an impressive effort, but Hooper still looked closer to 16 than 21. When he struggled to find consistency, many people decided they knew what to expect from the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
CHANGING OPINIONS
He shifted to lightweight in 2023 and has earned three straight wins because he’d been underestimated.
“It’s been seven years since my Contender Series fight, so that’s seven years at the very highest level, and it’s a big factor,” Hooper said. “I’m never gonna try and get rid of that. It’s only beneficial if people think I’m a worse fighter than I am. I feel like people look at me and think, ‘He’s not very strong, he doesn’t have hands; he’s just got jiu-jitsu.’ It’s always nice to be able to have people expect less of you and be surprised versus the other way around. I think that honestly was a factor in the last fight: I don’t think they were expecting me to trade with him at all, and it all worked out. I’m pretty content with where I’m at and pretty happy with people underestimating me still.”
The days of people underestimating him may expire soon, as Hooper takes on UFC Hall of Famer Clay Guida at UFC 310 in Las Vegas on December 7.
OLD VERSUS NEW
“I would have just turned seven,” said Hooper when asked how he feels about fighting someone who has been in the Octagon since 2006. “It’s cool to be able to go against a Hall of Famer, a legend of the sport. It’s a huge opportunity. It’s a chance to add more to the resume, keep pushing the winning streak further, keep pushing my brand further, I guess. It’s a fun match. I see why UFC was so keen on making it because of the opposing grappling styles (the fact that) he’s a gamer. He’s in there for the full 15, so am I. He’s going for finishes still, and he’s not on a Tony Ferguson or BJ Penn trajectory right now, plus he’s still wanting to fight the young guys, which is crazy being 42, so all respect to him.”
The two have a little history with one another, as they faced off two years ago at Fury Pro Grappling 6, with Hooper winning the match by submission with a calf slicer.
IMPROVEMENTS ALL THE WAY
Though short on time, Hooper has got plenty of experience.
“It’s nice to be finding my footing and feeling like I’m making some forward progress,” began Hooper, who has shown clear improvements since relocating to lightweight. “A big part of it, too — and I think I’ve said it before — is adjusting to the UFC level. This fight coming up will be my 10th fight with the company, so I feel like I know how everything goes now. I know what Fight Week is like. I know what the pressure of being in there is, and I’m able to shift my mentality more, look forward to it more and, have fun with it, enjoy the process. It feels good to be able to feel like I’m in the right place, and I’m doing what I need to do to win these fights,” continued Hooper, who, at 25, remains a couple of years shy of what is considered a competitor’s athletic prime.
NEW HEIGHTS
More often than not, it takes a few appearances before a UFC fighter feels comfortable, and even then, the results aren’t always immediate.
“It’s not like the training has changed too much — it’s just been the experience and getting confidence, getting rid of the Imposter Syndrome,” he added. “These were the things that helped me with that—thinking about how Max Holloway went 3-3 in his first six UFC appearances and how Charles Oliveira went 5-5 in his first 10. I feel like we’re getting to that point where I’m not feeling like there is a big experience gap between me and these guys, which again plays well into December here,” Hooper tacked on. “On paper, he’s got 36 UFC fights to my 10th, but I feel like after the first couple contracts, you’re settling in, and I feel like I’ve settled in.”
NEWCOMER NERVES
Hooper acknowledges that not knowing how things will play out still brings nervousness when he’s backstage and readying to step into the Octagon.
“My first couple fights, I was freaked out — even local amateur, local pro. I was freaked out to go fight, and then same thing in the UFC,” he said with a smile. “Now it’s a little bit of nerves. I’m nervous about not knowing what is going to happen. But when I’m in there, I’m working, and it’s the confidence of knowing that when I do get in there, I do really well.”
After alternating wins and losses through his first six appearances, Hooper’s move to lightweight has produced three straight victories.
The spindly kid who hurried his attacks has morphed into an up-and-coming prospect. One people should be paying close attention at UFC 310 and beyond. Hooper is becoming a serious threat inside the Octagon, and he’s driven to follow the path Holloway and Oliveira carved out before him.
“My instincts are being developed right now, and I think I can be one of the best in the world,” he said confidently. “We’ve been showing it these last three fights, and hopefully, we’ll make it four here (on December 7).”
From teenage phenom to lightweight force, Chase Hooper proves that time and grit turn dreams into reality.
