The BJJ wunderkind has heard many offers and has finally been offered an opponent he just couldn’t pass up in Renato Moicano.
“The thing is, is that there are so many great grapplers out there who don’t have the same platform so I kind of wanted to go against someone that has been in a similar area as me where they’re not just trying to focus on BJJ,” Hooper said. “He’s an MMA guy as well.”
One look at Moicano’s track record and you’ll see what Hooper sees, as the Brazilian is deadly with the rear naked choke. With eight total victories by submission, Hooper has a lot of respect for Moicano’s ground game but offers one confidence-boosting wrinkle to Moicano’s resume.
Don’t Miss Fury Pro Grappling 3 On UFC Fight Pass
“I know it’ll be a tough match,” Hooper said. “I really like the ruleset and I know Moicano is more of a traditional jiu jitsu guy so I may or may not have the advantage with the leg lock side of things, but again, he’s from a super high-level gym. He’s from American Top Team, so he’s getting high-level looks all the time. He’s coming out pretty hard I would assume. He’s got a lot of rear naked choke finishes, but these guys he’s finishing aren’t necessarily the highest-level grapplers.”
The “What if” matchup is the exact type of match that intrigues Hooper the most outside of fighting in the Octagon. He admits that even he has no idea what to expect, and as dangerous as that may be against a proven contender like Moicano, that’s what makes it so sweet at the same time.
“He’s competing against all these high-level guys and I think it’s a good test of where my jiu jitsu is at against other high level grapplers in the UFC,” Hooper said. “There’s really no downside. If I lose, I’m losing to a UFC vet who has a black belt and quite a bit of experience on me. If I do beat him, it shows how good my grappling is, especially if I’m beating a guy a weight class up. A win would further cement where my grappling is.”
Catch Fury Pro Grappling 3, featuring Chase Hooper vs Renato Moicano, on Thursday, December 30 at 4:30 pm PT, ONLY on UFC FIGHT PASS!
