Welcome to The Weekly Takedown, Sports Illustrated’s in-depth look at MMA. Every week, this column offers insight and information on the most noteworthy stories in the fight world.
Springtime means prom season. But that never happened for Chase Hooper.
While Hooper’s high school classmates were slipping on tuxedos, finding prom dresses, or crowding into limousines, the baby-faced fighting prodigy was at a jiu-jitsu camp honing his craft.
“It wasn’t really on my priority list,” Hooper said. “I loved spending that time training. Going to a party or drinking couldn’t compare with fighting a dude in a cage.