A lot has changed for lightweight standout Chase Hooper over the years.
Hooper was just 18-years-old when he signed a development deal with the UFC and quickly became a social media sensation courtesy of his wiry frame and accompanying baby face. It certainly didn’t hurt that he had the skills to match as the accomplished BJJ wizard scored a big first-round finish in his promotional debut against Daniel Teymur at UFC 245.
Five years later, things are drastically different for Hooper both in and out of the Octagon, but ‘The Dream’ finally feels like he’s getting the hang of being an adult with a very unique career choice.
“It’s definitely been a difficult journey,” Hooper told RG.org of growing up in the bright lights of the UFC. “I was still figuring out everything, like how to buy a house, how to pay my bills, how to pay taxes. But I think I’m definitely starting to find my groove in and out of the cage. I’m starting to figure out how to live with this type of career.”
One of the biggest changes is that Hooper is no longer fighting for just himself. Every time he steps into the cage, it’s an opportunity for him to give his daughter a better life.
“Losing a fight, the worst thing was probably on the ego,” Hooper said. “But now, I need to provide. It’s for a purpose now. I’m not just fighting for myself. I’m fighting so that my daughter can be in a better position than I was growing up.”
Chase Hooper’s move to lightweight has proven to be a wise decision
As Hooper began to grow into his 6’1″ frame, the Enumclaw, Washington native made the move up the lightweight. It’s proven to be a wise decision as he’s since rattled off three straight wins, including back-to-back submission victories over Jordan Leavitt and Viacheslav Borshchev.
“Now, I’m not so scared of all these names,” Hooper said. “There are some scary names up there. There are some guys that are dangerous. But I know I can hang with these guys. Obviously, I don’t think I’m ready for Islam [Makhachev] next week. But I’m working my way up the division and I’m stacking that resume up.”
Going forward, Hooper believes his biggest asset inside the Octagon will be his unconventional style which will be difficult for his opponents to replicate while training.
“I have some of the best jiu-jitsu in the division,” he said. “That’s kind of a niche skill set; that’s not super common. So I think having a weird style, it’s hard to prepare for. I think I can catch a lot of these guys … there’s definitely some winnable fights in the outer edge of the top 15.”
