UFC 256 video: Chase Hooper hits Hail Mary heel hook to submit Peter Barrett
hooper #hooper
By Dave Doyle | December 12, 2020 8:24 pm
The book on Chase Hooper going into his UFC 256 bout with Peter Barrett was that he was a raw prospect with a heck of a ground game.
The 21-year-old featherweight fully reinforced both of those notions in the opening bout Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Barrett (11-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) basically controlled most of the first two-plus rounds of the fight, with the exception of occasional ground exchanges here and there. But then Hooper (9-1-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) reminded everyone that his jiu-jitsu is legit when he executed a perfect Tony Ferguson-esque Imanari roll and caught Barrett in a heel hook. Barrett basically thrashed around like a hooked fish, but finally had to tap away at the 3:02 mark in the third round of a fight he had all but won.
You can check out his fantastic finish below (via Twitter):
Ladies and gentlemen, HE GOT HIM 👏@Chase_Hooper with a stunning comeback to open the night. #UFC256 pic.twitter.com/OxRnjpiPyA
— UFC (@ufc) December 13, 2020
“I’m ecstatic I’m as happy as I could be,” Hooper said after the fight. “I get another win, keep racking them up, and get my mojo back.”
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According to UFC research analyst Michael Carroll, it was the first featherweight heel hook finish in UFC history and 19th overall.
With the win, Hooper (9-1-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) shook off his first career loss to Alex Caceres. It was his eight career finish and fifth submission victory.