Chase HooperW vs. Mitch Ramirez
UFC Fight Night · July 18, 2026 · Paycom Center · Main Card 8:00 PM ET
The lineChase Hooper -375Mitch Ramirez +295DraftKings
The result
Chase Hooper def. Mitch Ramirez — Submission (rear-naked choke), R1 2:15
The most probable script — Hooper takedown into a choke — is precisely what happened. A quick straight left set up the shot, Hooper took Ramirez down and got to his back, locked his legs around the body, and sank the rear-naked choke at 2:15 of round one, snapping his two-fight knockout skid. The asterisk: Hooper missed weight by a pound and a half, so the crisis-ending win came at a catchweight and cost him bonus eligibility.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
What kind of fight is this?
Grappler vs. brawler, no middle ground — finish likelihood: very high
This ends inside two rounds in one of two ways: Hooper drags Ramirez down early and strangles him — the most probable script given that takedown defense — or Ramirez clips him on the way in, as Hernandez and Gibson just showed the blueprint for. Hooper by submission is the pick, but it's the least safe favorite on the card.
The matchup
Both men arrive on two-fight skids and both got stopped in every one of those losses, so someone's crisis ends tonight. The style split is total: Hooper wants a single takedown or scramble into his world of chokes (2.08 sub attempts per 15 minutes); Ramirez wants to stand in the pocket and hit hard. The numbers scream one thing — Ramirez's 25% takedown defense is among the worst on the roster, and Hooper attempts nearly two and a half per fight. But Hooper's 40% striking defense and freshly cracked chin mean every entry he makes runs through live power.
Tale of the tape
| 16-5-1 | Record | 8-3 |
| 26 | Age | 33 |
| 6'1" | Height | 5'11" |
| 74" | Reach | 70.5" |
| Southpaw | Stance | Orthodox |
| United States | Country | United States |
| Combat Sport & Fitness (Washington) | Team | Syndicate MMA (Las Vegas) |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Chase Hooper 16-5-1
“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 wins over Clay Guida and Jim Miller, and 12 finishes in 16 wins. The problem is new and urgent: back-to-back first-round knockout losses to Alexander Hernandez and Lance Gibson Jr. have him fighting for his job on the main card.
- 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
- WJim Miller · Decision (unanimous)UFC 314 · April 12, 2025
Mitch Ramirez 8-3
“The Fight Stalker”
A Las Vegas-based swinger with seven finishes in eight wins who reached the UFC despite losing his Contender Series audition to Carlos Prates. He's 0-2 in the promotion, stopped by Thiago Moisés and Mike Davis, and every loss of his career has come by KO/TKO. Fun for exactly as long as it lasts — for somebody.
- LMike Davis · KO/TKO, R2 4:08UFC on ESPN: Lewis vs. Teixeira · July 12, 2025
- LThiago Moisés · KO/TKO, R3 0:15UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs. Tybura · March 16, 2024
- WAndres Tavarres · KO/TKO, R1LFA 173 · December 15, 2023