Featherweight Chase Hooper will step into the octagon for the first time at UFC 245, where the young Contender Series alum will face Daniel Teymur.
UFC 245 will hit the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 14. It’s arguably the biggest card of the year, boasting three huge title fights. The card is loaded with contenders and at the bottom of the card newcomer Chase Hooper will help open up the festivities. He will take on Daniel Teymur (7-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC).
6’1″
Featherweight
20-years-old
Enumclaw, Washington
Combat Sport & Fitness
8-0-1
1 KO/TKO
4 Submissions (3 Rear-naked Chokes, 1 Triangle)
How will Hooper fare in the UFC:
Chase Hooper comes into the UFC thanks to a development deal he earned following his win on the Contender Series in 2018. He has grown into a better fighter since then but still needs a lot of work.
Hooper is solely a grappler who on the feet doesn’t have much to show. He has good kicks but lacking power they are thrown just to maintain range. All his finishes are on the mat and the decision wins have come via his ground game. His wrestling isn’t where it should be which is a reason he pulls guard so much.
His length gives him an advantage on the mat taking better positions easily. In the grappling department Hooper is dangerous and that’s with not only his submission base but active ground and pound. On the feet when it comes to his striking defense he needs a lot of work. Still so young, he’s already taken a lot of damage getting put on skates many times. The twenty-year old has potential but not just anytime soon due to his age, and still being untested for the most part. Prediction: 2-2 to start in the UFC.
- Striking: D
- Kickboxing: C-
- Clinch: C+
- Wrestling: C
- Grappling: A-
- Striking Defense: D-
- Takedown Defense: C-
- Cardio: B
- Biggest Strength: Grappling
- Biggest Weakness: Striking defense
How Hooper matches up with Teymur:
Teymur is a wild man who is known for his power and kickboxing. Yet despite being a wild man who hits hard, he’s easy to read. He’s lost twice by submission and that is the recipe for Hooper in this fight. Hooper is huge compared to Teymur with a 6.5″ reach advantage and 8″ taller. Teymur could defend just about any takedown, but if Hooper closes the distance he could easily just tie him up. This is a difficult fight that Teymur could win but if Hooper fights correctly he should take this.
