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Featherweights
NR | Steven Peterson (18-9, 2-3 UFC) vs. NR | Chase Hooper (10-1-1, 2-1 UFC)ODDS: Peterson (-115), Hooper (-105)
Hooper finds himself in an odd spot. Just 21 years old, “The Dream” is already nearly four years deep into his pro career, and he definitely has something: He is a legitimately talented grappler and submission artist, plus he has enough goofy charisma to catch eyeballs and do well for himself. However, as long as he is in the UFC, it figures to be rough going, at least in the short term. Hooper has won two of his three Octagon bouts, but he has taken a concerning amount of damage on his way to doing so. His debut win over Daniel Teymur was a back-and-forth affair, and Peter Barrett was putting on a one-sided performance before Hooper’s longshot attempt at a heel hook worked in the third round. Hooper’s youth has meant he has been able to bounce back to a surprising degree, though this is one of the starkest examples of the UFC’s harsh approach to matchmaking having the potential to burn out a talented prospect long before he can blossom. At the same time, there is a question of how much Hooper can even correct his issues going forward. His tall and awkward frame has its advantages, but striking defense may just always be a gap around which Hooper has to navigate. At any rate, Hooper looks to build on the Barrett win against Peterson, who certainly figures to press the issue here. Peterson is essentially a hammer eternally in search of a nail, focusing on constant pressure and offense with more creativity than nuance. That has led to a lot of fights where Peterson just eats offense while attempting to track down his opponents, but if nothing else, his approach breeds constant action; and he scored a brutal spinning backfist knockout of Martin Bravo in 2019. Injuries have kept Peterson out of action since, and he has a pretty simple task in this one: Do not get submitted. Hooper is talented and creative enough on the mat that he could certainly grab something, but Peterson has proven to be a shockingly solid grappler when called to action, making it the safer bet that he can survive and lay a beating on Hooper. The pick is Peterson via decision.
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