Chris Padilla vs. Chase Hooper
UFC 335 · December 12, 2026 · T-Mobile Arena · Prelims
The brief
- What kind of fight
- Unbeaten streak vs. rebounding grappler
- Finish likelihood
- Medium
- The line
- No line posted yet
- The stakes
- Lightweight · Prelims
The read
Padilla's long unbeaten run and well-rounded game make him the steadier bet here, and he enters as the betting favorite for a reason.
Hooper's own submission instincts mean the fight is never safe on the ground regardless of who's controlling it, and he has shown he can still finish when his back is against the wall.
Lean Padilla, with Hooper's scrambling the clearest path to an upset.
The matchup
Both lightweights arrive off submission wins, with Padilla unbeaten in his last nine fights (8-0-1) and Hooper trying to build on the rear-naked choke that snapped his own two-fight knockout skid.
Padilla is a well-rounded, durable lightweight who has quietly climbed the rankings, while Hooper's BJJ black belt and underrated grappling make this a live threat on the mat for either man.
Tale of the tape
| 18-6-1 | Record | 17-5-1 |
| 31 | Age | 26 |
| — | Height | 6'1" |
| — | Reach | 74" |
| — | Stance | Southpaw |
| United States | Country | United States |
| California Mixed Martial Arts | Team | Combat Sport & Fitness (Washington) |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Chris Padilla 18-6-1
“Taco”
Chris 'Taco' Padilla is a 31-year-old American lightweight out of California Mixed Martial Arts, unbeaten in his last nine fights (8-0-1) including a technical submission of Nasrat Haqparast in August 2026. He now meets fellow finisher Chase Hooper at UFC 335.
- WNasrat Haqparast · Submission (arm-triangle choke)UFC Fight Night · August 22, 2026
- DMarQuel Mederos · Decision (majority)UFC 327 · April 11, 2026
- WIsmael Bonfim · TKOUFC Fight Night · November 8, 2025
Chase Hooper 17-5-1
“The Dream”
Signed off the Contender Series as a teenager in 2018 and still only 26 despite seven years on the roster. A legitimate BJJ black belt with 13 finishes in 17 wins, he snapped a two-fight knockout skid with a first-round rear-naked choke of Mitch Ramirez in July 2026, and now meets fellow submission threat Chris Padilla at UFC 335.
- WMitch Ramirez · Submission (rear-naked choke)UFC Fight Night · July 18, 2026
- LLance Gibson Jr. · KO/TKO, R1 2:56UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Pyfer · March 28, 2026
- LAlexander Hernandez · KO/TKO, R1 4:58UFC 319 · August 16, 2025