Lightweight talents Chase Hooper and Jordan Leavitt faced off on Saturday’s UFC Vegas 82 main card at the UFC Apex, in a bout that promised to have some slick transitions and electrifying grappling exchanges.
It didn’t disappoint, and played out, as expected, mostly on the mat.
Chase Hooper ate a nasty ground strike from Jordan Leavitt in the opening round of their lightweight fight, with Leavitt proving he was able to leave his nice guy persona at the cage door and really look to hurt the youngster. But Hooper, with solid Fight IQ for someone so young, took advantage of a scramble and flowed right into a rear-naked choke. With the body triangle in place and fully under the chin, Hooper had the submission locked up, and he knew it. Leavitt knew it as well, and had no choice but to tap!
The win is the second straight for 24-year old Chase Hooper, after picking up a unanimous decision over Nick Fiore earlier this year. After trading wins and losses through the entirety of his featherweight run in the UFC, it seems “The Dream” has found himself at 155lbs.
Official Result: Chase Hooper def. Jordan Leavitt by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:58
