Lightweights
Nick Fiore (6-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Chase Hooper (11-3-1, 3-3 UFC)This is a crucial point for Hooper. He was signed to a developmental contract by the UFC as an 18-year-old and made his promotional debut at the seasoned age of 20, at which time it was not clear that “The Dream” was particularly ready. Hooper is a standout grappler with an impressive ability to leverage his long frame, but even the wins he was able to find at the UFC level saw him get absolutely shellacked on the feet, seemingly only having the durability to survive thanks to his youth. That made his May 2022 win over Felipe Colares an impressive bit of business. Hooper still made his own hay as a grappler but suddenly showed off a striking game that effectively flowed into his wrestling and grappling, suggesting that he had the makings of a complete fighter who should be able to stay on the roster without much trouble. Then his last fight happened. Hooper was paired with Steve Garcia in October and never really got out of the gate. Garcia overwhelmed him nearly immediately, staggering Hooper multiple times before earning a knockout at the 92-second mark. It could mean nothing, or it could be a sign that Hooper’s career might already be catching up with him at age 23. At any rate, that does not figure to be a factor here, as Hooper moves up to lightweight. Fiore has not been hyped as a wunderkind like Hooper, but he has similarly found himself skipping a few steps in terms of career development. The New Englander ran over a few opponents on the regional scene, then suddenly found himself getting the late-notice call to step in for a UFC debut in January. His fight against Mateusz Rebecki was a rude awakening, though at least it was a plus that Fiore kept battling through adversity. Most of Fiore’s fights have seen him run through opponents on the mat, but the stout and seasoned Rebecki managed to neutralize those parts of his game and also take advantage of his fairly lackluster striking. Fiore is a talent who should develop well, but he is also much too raw for most of the matchups he is going to see at the UFC level, including this one. Hooper looks to be the more effective fighter on the feet while also proving capable of handling Fiore on the mat. If this turns into a pure grappling match, this could go either way, particularly if Hooper looks to chase some low-percentage submissions rather than pursue damage or control, but this also looks to be his fight to lose. The pick is Hooper via decision.
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