Chase Hooper plans to “bring in a weird style” for fight with Felipe Colares at UFC Vegas 55

Chase Hooper didn’t want to be off for nearly a year but believes in the long run it will benefit him.

Hooper last fought back at UFC 263 in June of 2021, where he lost a decision to Steven Peterson to drop him to 2-2 in the UFC. After the setback, he wanted to return before the end of the year but nothing came to fruition. Now, at UFC Vegas 55 on May 21, he will return to the Octagon to take on Felipe Colares.

“Not on my end, the issue is more on the UFC’s schedule. I was trying to get a fight in December, January, February, March, and April but May is what they offered so May is what I took,” Hooper said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “Obviously, I’m happy to get back in there but this is the longest time I’ve taken off between fights and I didn’t have a crazy injury or anything, it’s just how it worked out. I got to take what I can get and this is a great matchup for me so I’m willing to take that into consideration with the fact it took so long to take get a fight.”

With Hooper having nearly a year off, he spent time working at Stephen Thompson’s gym in South Carolina. He says it’s been beneficial for him as it will help him in the wrestling and striking department which he knows are areas he has to improve on.

“Hopefully I’ll be a different fighter than I was in the last one, a more well-rounded fighter overall. It’s just trying to use that type of stuff to motivate you,” Hooper said. “A loss is always crazy motivating to me, whether it’s in jiu-jitsu or in MMA, but it has allowed me to sit back and work on the things I need to. I’ve been out in South Carolina (with Stephen Thompson), two, three, four times maybe since the fight. They have good wrestlers and strikers and I’m able to give them a jiu-jitsu look they may not be able to see all the time and then they are able to give me the look on the other two specialized sides. It’s been very solid.”

Not only does Chase Hooper believe he has improved his all-around game when he got the call to fight Felipe Colares he says he will be able to show that off. The Brazilian is moving up in weight and he believes his style is the perfect matchup for him.

With that, Hooper has a ton of confidence he will be able to control the fight to return to the win column and prove he belongs in the UFC.

“It’s a fun matchup on paper and I think it will be a fun one…,” Hooper explained. “I feel like I will be able to bring in a weird style, and hopefully do enough, land some shots, not try and be so submission-focused and be more ground-and-pound-focused, and take whatever opportunities are there. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win…

“I feel as if I’m better everywhere if I’m doing the right stuff and not going in there like an idiot. I’m feeling really good about it,” Hooper later added. “I’m really doing whatever it takes to win whether it’s grappling for 15 minutes, whether it’s striking for 15 minutes, or wrestling for 15 minutes I’m ready for all that. If I go out there and it’s a quick easy night all the more reason to keep preparing for the next guy. I’m looking forward to hopefully showing that I belong here and I’m improving and the investment that UFC has made in me is paying off and worthwhile.”

Not only does Hooper think this is the perfect matchup for him, but he also believes there is no pressure on him. He thinks he has nothing to lose which is when he is at his most dangerous.

“I try and take the pressure off myself because I don’t have anything to lose. That’s the mentality I’m trying to go in there with. Fight as hard as I can and not hold back,” Hooper concluded.

Do you think Chase Hooper will beat Felipe Colares at UFC Vegas 55?