Chase Hooper knows he will have to get Viacheslav Borshchev to the ground if he is going to get his hand raised at UFC St. Louis.
Hooper is set for his third fight at lightweight as he’s 2-0 and coming off a submission win over Jordan Leavitt back in November. After the win, he was hoping to get a quick turnaround, but that didn’t happen.
“We had been in contact with the matchmakers since December asking to get booked and to get a fight. I don’t know if they had their ideas for wanting this fight to begin with and just playing this out or what. But, I’m happy with the matchup and getting back to work. I was hoping for three fights this year, but the way they are booking me it doesn’t quite look like it,” Hooper said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com.
When Chase Hooper does return, he will be facing Viacheslav Borshchev at UFC St. Louis. Heading into the bout, Hooper believes the bout is very clear as it is a classic striker vs. grappler matchup.
“It’s an exciting fight, I think they are trying to test how I will do against a heavy striker and how he will do against a heavy grappler to see who is ready for that next jump up in the division,” Hooper said. “We are both finishers so that makes it an exciting fight. If it stays on the feet, that favors him, if it goes to the ground, that favors me. It makes for a fun fight, it’s very black and white.”
Ultimately, Hooper has confidence he will be able to get Borshchev down and eventually get a stoppage win at UFC St. Louis.
“I got to grapple him and see how well I can implement that, while he is trying to beat me up on the feet and try not to get wrestled. It’s really going to be figuring out who can get to the area where they can win the easiest. I feel like his cardio, he slows down but mentally he is really solid. He hasn’t been finished yet, and the start of the rounds after he gets grappled he is trying to get the kill. I think the grappling, I have a hard style to replicate and I think I will grapple him up and take home that win,” Hooper said.
If Hooper gets his hand raised, he hopes he can get another fight in the fall against someone near the lightweight rankings.
“I think it kind of puts me in towards the outer end of the rankings. Not in the top-15. I think there are tiers, but I think that will put me in the tier below the rankings, near where Paddy is. Just move up to fight some of these more named guys,” Hooper concluded.
