Young featherweight star Chase Hooper has his octagon return set, against a gritty opponent in Steven “Ocho” Peterson.
Both fighters confirmed news of the booking on social media, following an initial report by BJPenn.com on Monday.
For Hooper (10-1-1), it’s the first fight back since a wild comeback against Peter Barrett at UFC 256 in December. After getting beat up on the feet for the better part of three rounds, Hooper pulled off a Comeback of the Year candidate, finishing Barrett by heel hook.
Hooper was also beat up by the commentary team during the fight, with the broadcast booth heavily criticizing his striking. Perhaps rightfully so, but “The Teenage Dream” (who at 21 is no longer a teenager) still had his hand raised in the end.
Overall, Hooper is 2-1 inside the octagon, after joining the promotion by way of a developmental deal earned on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018.
Steven Peterson (18-9) lost his own fight on the Contender Series in 2017. But a win in LFA allowed him to get his foot in the door, and “Ocho” has gone 2-3 since joining the big show in 2018. Most recently, he picked up a spinning back fist KO of Martin Bravo in September 2019 that earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. That win came in a do-or-die situation, with Peterson losing two fights prior to that contest.
Peterson has not competed during the pandemic as of yet, after being forced out of a bout with Seung Woo Choi back in February due to injury.
UFC 263 takes place June 12, 2021 at a location and venue yet to be announced. The card boasts two title fights, and currently breaks down as follows:
Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori – for the UFC middleweight championship
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno – for the UFC flyweight championship
Carlos Felipe vs. Jake Collier
Luigi Vendramini vs. Fares Ziam
Movsar Evloev vs. Hakeem Dawodu
Karol Rosa vs. Sijara Eubanks
Paul Craig vs. Jamahal Hill
Joanne Calderwood vs. Lauren Murphy
Frank Camacho vs. Matt Frevola
Steven Peterson vs. Chase Hooper
