UFC Fight Night Chase Hooper vs Jordan Leavitt Odds, Picks, and Predictions: No Jumping Through Hoops

Chase Hooper and Jordan Leavitt face off in a clash of lightweight prospects on the UFC Fight Night undercard tonight, November 18, from The Apex in Las Vegas.

Hooper’s eye-opening win in his last fight has made him a fighter to watch, and Leavitt hopes an upset here will springboard him back up the lightweight rankings.

UFC odds have Hooper the favorite at -205, while Leavitt is a +170 underdog. 

Here are my free picks for Hooper vs. Leavitt at UFC Fight Night from Las Vegas.

Chase Hooper vs Jordan Leavitt fight odds

Chase Hooper vs Jordan Leavitt method of victory odds

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook on November 5, 2023.

Chase Hooper vs Jordan Leavitt picks

Fight prediction: Hooper moneyline (-205)

All eyes are on Hooper after his impressive performance against Nick Fiore, where he landed 217 strikes. The Enumclaw native made his bones in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and he faces a fellow submission artist in the seasoned Leavitt. This could be another step in Hooper’s development, but it’s a risky fight as Leavitt isn’t likely to get torched like Fiore did.  

Leavitt has been part of the promotion since 2020 and has settled into the role of a mid-tier lightweight. He’s taken the only two losses of his career in the UFC, which were decision wins against Claudio Puelles and a submission loss to Paddy Pimblett in July 2022.  

Though Leavitt may be the naturally bigger fighter and has more experience, his takedown defense is atrocious at 30%. His striking defense is respectable, and he’s accurate when he relies on his standup, but Hooper is going to have a field day with another BJJ fighter who is going to clam up and shoot for takedowns. 

Hooper has the better striking and might also have the better BJJ. This should result in a clear win for the 24-year-old prospect.

Prediction: Hooper moneyline (-205 at DraftKings)

Fight best bet: Hooper by submission or decision (-135)

There will be a lot of eyes on Hooper, and he’ll inevitably draw comparisons to Pimblett’s win over Leavitt. Seeing how often Leavitt gets on the ground, and the advantage in the striking, Hooper can potentially score a stoppage. 

Leavitt is no slouch. Odds aside, this could be a competitive fight should Hooper be unable to go off on his striking again. If this does settle into a methodical pace akin to two BJJ experts fighting, Leavitt lands 60% of his significant strikes and defends 56% of attempts.

This should be Hooper’s show, and I’ll take him on a submission/decision double chance as my pick of the fight.

Pick: Hooper by submission or decision (-135 at DraftKings)

Chase Hooper vs Jordan Leavitt betting preview

Hooper is a former Pan American BJJ champion and has floated between featherweight and lightweight. He’s very talented on the ground and his striking his significantly improved, and he has four knockouts and five submissions. Three of his four UFC wins have been finishes, but he’s had trouble adjusting as he’s 3-3 in his last six. 

Leavitt’s background is in both BJJ and wrestling, and he’s a strong grappler. He has six submission wins and averages 2.31 takedowns per fight. Recently, Leavitt scored the second knockout of his career against Victor Martinez, and like Hooper, often finishes his opponents inside the distance.

Hooper will have a four-inch advantage in height, a three-inch advantage in reach, and is four years younger than Leavitt. Leavitt must be ready to defend against takedowns, where he has struggled in recent fights. He’s been taken down seven times in his last five fights and has struggled to prevent his opponents from attempting submissions. 

Chase Hooper vs Jordan Leavitt tale of the tape

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