Preview: UFC 256 Prelims

The Dream is alive and well! @Chase_Hooper with a successful R1 victory at #UFC245!

Watch LIVE on @UFCFightPass NOW! pic.twitter.com/C3ck3Fc1mn

— UFC (@ufc) December 15, 2019

Featherweights

NR | Chase Hooper (9-1-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. NR | Peter Barrett (11-4, 0-1 UFC)

ODDS: Hooper (-400), Barrett (+325)

Hooper is in an odd place, to say the least. He was still a teenager when the UFC gave him a developmental contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, and after about a year on the regional scene, he had a successful UFC debut against Daniel Teymur in 2019. Hooper’s success hinges entirely on his grappling skills, and his sophomore effort against Alex Caceres unfortunately showed the limits of that approach. Caceres had enough ability to shake off his submission attempts and keep the grappling engagements at a minimum, at which point Hooper was essentially helpless. The worry for Hooper? Despite being just 21 years old, there may not be a lot of room for growth in the rest of his game. While Hooper’s lanky frame is an asset on the mat, he is a stiff and upright striker who does not seem to have the athleticism or fluidity to make his kickboxing all that effective. Hooper’s grappling is good enough for him to stick around as a specialist, but it is still a high-variance approach that could prevent him from ever making a huge run up the ladder. At any rate, a lot of those concerns should not be an issue against Barrett, who is a decent veteran grinder. It was a bit of a surprise when “Slippery Pete” got a UFC contract on the 2019 edition of DWCS, but UFC President Dana White himself essentially admitted that Barrett’s Boston ties were a large part of his getting this opportunity. Barrett gives maximum effort every time out, to his credit, but his straight-ahead style should charge directly into the best parts of Hooper’s game. The pick is Hooper via first-round submission.

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