UFC featherweight Chase Hooper made the most of his pay-per-view appearance as he put away Peter Barrett. The 10-1-1 stand-out snagged up a slick heel hook submission at 03:02 of the third round and put his stamp on the division. Chiefly, the bout took place in the early prelims of UFC 256 and the card itself is trending well.
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The bout was a competitive match-up on paper but played out largely in favor of ‘Slippery Pete’ Barrett. Hooper was down on the scorecards going into the third round and it looked as though his foot was worse for wear. Although there appeared to be some fatigue setting in for Barrett he was on his way towards a decision victory. He displayed some major chops in the striking department, and it’s clear that he was let down in the grappling department.
Down two rounds, leg badly injured, @chase_hooper pulled off the massive comeback with a third-round heel hook 🤯
Stream #UFC256 on ESPN+ ➡️ https://t.co/WVX4zKCSVh pic.twitter.com/VD0EpzEgTu
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 13, 2020
UFC featherweights: Chase Hooper vs Peter Barrett
‘The Teenage Dream’ has managed to re-enter the win column after suffering his first loss as a professional in his last fight. He fell to Alex Caceres in what was a largely disappointing outing back in June 2020 at UFC 250. However, his submission win over a tough out in Barrett has opened the door once again to new avenues.
Chase Hooper has plenty going for him as he’s certainly an up-and-coming star in the company. Additionally, UFC President Dana White and the UFC brass certainly see the star power that the ‘Dana White’s Contender Series’ fighter possesses. He’ll be keen to make his way up the rungs after a powerful stoppage win on a highly touted card.
The featherweight division is chalked full of killers, and the divisional elite is comprised mostly of veteran mainstays. It’s proven to be exceedingly difficult to charter a course towards a title shot, and Hooper will have to accrue wins over some big names. Not to mention, the champion Alexander Volkanovski has set the bar exceedingly high for any fighter who weighs 145-pounds.
As for Peter Barrett, he’s now on a two-fight skid and has gone 3-5 overall in his last 8 outings. Considering the promotional cuts that White has promised, ‘Slippery Pete’ is certainly on the chopping block.
