Washington’s own Chase Hooper took on Lance Gibson Jr. of nearby Vancouver, Canada in a lightweight match-up at UFC Seattle on Saturday.
It was a fight that did not take long to play out, and when it did, it was in explosive, violent fashion.
Hooper went after a leg in the opening minute, with Gibson hopping on one foot, smashing away with elbows, and eventually breaking free as Chase tried to protect his head.
Moments later, after re-engaging, an elbow stunned Hooper, leaving him on skates. Gibson followed up with a pair of head kicks, which didn’t put Hooper away, then connected with a knee that left Chase reeling. Hooper dropped down for a leg, but Gibson was still on him. The ref didn’t like the look of things, and soon moved in waving the fight off. Fans at the Climate Pledge Arena were far some thrilled with the result, voicing their opinion at seeing the local kid put away. That said, Hooper didn’t protest the stoppage, and remained on his knees for a bit after the fact.
After the fight, Gibson, a Canadian who was actually born in Seattle and is a second-generation UFC fighter, was emotional in talking about dreaming of getting to fight at an arena in the city.
With proud pop Lance Gibson Sr. and stepmom Julia Budd, a former Bellator champ, in his corner, Gibson Jr. got to live out a dream on Saturday, clinching his first UFC victory in style.
Official Result: Lance Gibson Jr. def. Chase Hooper by TKO, Round 1, 2:56
