The next UFC fight on this weekend’s card to look at is this lightweight matchup between Chase Hooper and Jordan Leavitt taking place in the UFC APEX on Saturday night on the main card. These two will be battling it out to move closer to the top 15 of the lightweight rankings in their next bout.
Hooper vs. Leavitt Picks
Pick: Leavitt to win by TKO (+1100).
Continue reading to learn more about how this matchup might play out in the octagon and for the official Hooper vs. Leavitt prediction ahead of placing your bets this weekend.
Chase Hooper vs Jordan Leavitt Information
Chase Hooper vs Jordan Leavitt
Location of the game: UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Date & Time: November 18, 2023. 5 PM ET main card start
How to Watch: ESPN+
Last Fight Record
Hooper is coming off an impressive unanimous decision win over Nick Fiore in May.
Leavitt is coming off a first-round TKO win over Victor Martinez in February.
Chase Hooper vs Jordan Leavitt Betting Analysis
Chase Hooper
Hooper is an American mixed martial artist with a professional record of 12-3-1 with 4 TKO/KO wins and 5 submissions. He began his MMA journey as a teenager, being an undefeated amateur and turning professional at the age of 18. He is a high-level BJJ practitioner, winning a gold medal at the Pan-American Games as a juvenile blue belt–and earning a silver medal in the absolute division.
Hooper has grown up in the UFC and is now a 24-year-old who has been transforming his body to be a lightweight prospect. In the octagon, he averages 5.00 significant strikes landed and 3.67 significant strikes absorbed per minute. He struggles with striking defense at 36%. On the ground, Hooper is very fun to watch; averaging 1.47 takedowns per 15 minutes in the octagon and an average of 2.1 submissions. He is also listed as a long 6’1” with a 74” reach.
Jordan Leavitt
Leavitt is an American mixed martial artist with an 11-2 record as a professional, including 2 TKO wins and 6 submissions. At the age of 28, he’s a 5’9” southpaw fighter with a reach of 71”. He’s a two-time post-fight bonus winner for Performance of the Night against Matt Wiman and Victor Martinez.
Leavitt averages 2.64 significant strikes landed per minute, while only absorbing 1.93 of those strikes per minute. He’s a pretty efficient striker, landing 60% of those significant strikes thrown and defending 56% of them. He’s a pure grappler at the core, averaging 2.31 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Updates
No injuries have been reported to the UFC.
Hooper vs. Leavitt Betting Preview
The Hooper vs. Leavitt prediction is probably the toughest one to make on the entire card this weekend. These two are both legitimate grapplers who are very dangerous on the ground and can submit an elite fighter from anywhere.
We need to preview the UFC Fight Night odds before breaking down who to pick to win. The odds have Hooper as the -194 betting favorite over the +169 Leavitt. The over/under is set at 2.5 rounds.
This fight is probably closer-matched than even what those odds say, so it helps thinking about it as such. Anything can happen once those octagon doors close and that’s something you need to keep in mind when making UFC predictions.
From studying the tape, Hopper has gotten so much better since his UFC debut. He is much stronger and has sharper striking. Despite noticeable gaps in his stand-up game, we anticipate seeing a significant improvement in his performance this weekend.
Leavitt hadn’t ever hurt someone with strikes up to his last performance with that TKO win, he says it himself. That confidence coming from a TKO win and hurting an opponent on the feet could be massive for him in this fight.
Hooper vs. Leavitt Betting Prediction
Prior to finalizing your UFC picks, independently assess this matchup; use others’ views to inform, not dictate, your fight predictions.
With that being said, the official Hooper vs. Leavitt prediction is that Leavitt will get his hand raised and win as an underdog. The confidence in his striking, Hooper’s lack of defense, and the heart of Leavitt will be too much for the inexperience and youthfulness of Hooper.
- Pick: Leavitt to win by TKO (+1100).
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