Chase Hooper says UFC Vegas 82 fight against Jordan Leavitt is a battle of the “two of the least intimidating guys in UFC history”

Chase Hooper believes he’s finally coming into his own as a fighter.

Hooper is set for his second lightweight fight in the UFC as he takes on Jordan Leavitt this Saturday night at UFC Vegas 82. It will be just his second fight this year, as he previously beat Nick Fiore by decision in May.

“Part of that was me. We already had a trip to Italy for my anniversary with my wife in August so we told the UFC I wanted near the end of the year,” Hooper said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “Just have enough time to have a full camp. The only thing would be dieting down and I didn’t want to diet down while I was on vacation, but, this has been a good amount of time off but I’ll be pumping out fights more often especially being at 155.”

Once Chase Hooper was ready to return, he was booked to face Jordan Leavitt at UFC Vegas 82. Right away, Hooper accepted it as he liked the style matchup. He’s also hailing this fight as the battle of the two least intimidating fighters in UFC history.

“It is such a fun fight because we have similar styles… I really do like the Leavitt fight, we had accepted a different opponent before but it didn’t work on their end so they gave us Jordan and it’s perfect. It’s such a fun matchup. It’s the stuff I like to do, he’s awkward on the feet, he’s awkward on the ground, and so am I,” Hooper said. “But, he likes to grapple and so do I. The placement on the card shows how good the matchup is. It’s a fun grappler-on-grappler fight with two of the least intimidating guys in UFC history.”

Although Chase Hooper knows neither he nor Jordan Leavitt are intimidating looking guys, he expects his UFC Vegas 82 scrap to be a tough one. He’s well aware of the awkward style that Leavitt presents but is confident he has all the tools to win this fight, even if he expects it to be a grueling 15-minute scrap.

“If I were to roll this dice, I think nine times out of 10 this fight is more in favor. But, it’s all about me not falling asleep at the wheel and fighting smart. Jordan has had as much success as he has because he has a weird style both on the feet and in grappling,” Hooper said. “Just putting myself in these awkward positions and put myself in weird submissions and scrambles, the same thing with the striking… Probably a lot of fun scrambles, if it goes the full 15 I know we will both be gassed at the end.”

Should Hooper get the win at UFC Vegas 82, he believes it will start to prove to everyone he belongs and can be a contender in the promotion.

“I feel like at 155, I’m starting to come in on my own. Obviously, I haven’t fought the same caliber guys that Max Holloway did, he was 3-3 in his first six UFC fights, and Oliveira went 5-5 in his first 10. It’s not unheard of and there is a huge adjustment period from a local show to fighting in the UFC. There is a lot of pressure. I feel like I’m really steadying in and this will be a good way to start a streak,” Hooper concluded.