Chase Hooper is only 21 years old and three fights deep into his UFC career, but he’s already well known for his grappling prowess and has just been awarded with his black belt in BJJ. Hooper announced the news in a post on his official Instagram account where he thanked both his training partners and of course his coaches at Combat Sport and Fitness in Enumclaw, Washington. He also explained how he originally came to the sport at the age of 8 and has now been training non-stop for thirteen years, even competing in the gi despite his burgeoning MMA career.
Hooper even won the IBJJF Pan-Ams as a juvenile blue belt in 2016, before embarking on his MMA career the following year. He fought as an amateur for a little while before this however, amassing a 5-0 amateur record before he’d even left high-school. It’s this early start that led to Hooper racking up an impressive 8-0-1 record in the ranks of the professionals in a little under two years and getting the call to make his UFC debut shortly after his 20th birthday. He won his debut against Daniel Teymur in impressive fashion with a first-round knockout, although he stumbled in his second UFC fight by dropping a Unanimous Decision to UFC veteran Alex Caceres.
That loss didn’t slow him down at all though as he made a quick return to form at UFC 256 against Peter Barret, making a remarkable comeback to submit his opponent with a heelhook in the third round. Chase Hooper doesn’t have his next fight lined up as yet, but all fans of grappling in MMA should be keeping a keen eye on what the newest black belt in the octagon will achieve in the coming years.
