Chase
Hooper is targeting a clash against fellow leg lock specialist
Claudio
Puelles after his victory over Jordan
Leavitt at UFC
Fight Night 232 over the weekend.
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Hooper and Leavitt went toe to toe in a high-paced grappling affair
which ended quickly when “The Dream” capitalized on his opponent’s
mistake to lock in a rear-naked choke at the 2:58 mark of Round 1.
Hooper, who has a heel hook submission to his name, subsequently
called out Puelles in a post-fight
interview.
“I’d like someone like a Claudio
Puelles. He beat Jordan, I believe, by decision. Then he also
has a kneebar win over Clay Guida,”
Hooper said. “I just beat Jordan tonight, and I’ve got a calf
slicer over Clay in a grappling match. But still, I would love to
fight another guy that’s big into leg locks – another big jiu-jitsu
guy in the division. Tonight is the perfect example. Those are fun
matchups, and I think they’re fun to watch. It’s a style of
grappling people can get down with.”
Puelles, who suffered a TKO loss to Dan Hooker in
his most recent outing, beat Leavitt via decision at UFC Fight
Night 189 in June 2021. The Peruvian has earned four of his seven
submission wins via kneebar, three of which came in the UFC. The
27-year-old hasn’t competed since his loss to Hooker in November
2022 ended a five-fight winning streak.
Meanwhile, Hooper has earned back-to-back victories this year after
moving up to 155 pounds. Even if the Puelles booking doesn’t come
to fruition, Hooper hopes to remain active in the near future with
his first child on the way.
“I’ve got to start making a little more of that dad money,” he
said. “I’d like to be a little bit more active, especially here at
’55 where I don’t have to cut as hard. I’d like to get three fights
in.”