Chase Hooper, the rising UFC star, recently found himself in the midst of controversy after his victory against Viacheslav Borshchev at UFC St. Louis. The match ended with a second-round submission, but the finish left fans and fighters divided.
The Tap Controversy
During the fight, Borshchev appeared to tap once while defending against a D’arce choke. Referee Keith Peterson stepped in and stopped the action, awarding the victory to Hooper. However, Borshchev immediately protested, claiming he hadn’t tapped intentionally.
Chase Hooper’s Take
Hooper’s perspective is clear: “There was that specific angle where I felt like it was pretty direct, his hand was out, tap, whatever that means. I did feel that one movement.” He acknowledges that as a fighter, it’s his responsibility to go until the ref tells him to stop. He trusts the referee’s experience and judgment.
“But that’s my responsibility as a fighter. I wasn’t going to let go. Both me and him have to trust Keith — the referee — with the objective lens. He’s back from the fight. I’m in the mix, kind of tunnel vision. I did feel like it was either a panic tap or an unintentional one. I felt like I had it locked in but I didn’t squeeze enough to really force that issue.”
Primitive Grappling and Trusting the Referee
Hooper also suggests that fighters who aren’t used to submissions might tap earlier than necessary. Regardless of the tap controversy, Hooper was in control throughout the fight. He dropped Borshchev early and dominated from top position. Peterson nearly stopped the bout due to unanswered strikes from Hooper, which might have influenced the quick trigger on the finish.
In the end, Hooper defers to the responsible party—the referee. Whether panic or unintentional, the controversy won’t overshadow his impressive performance in the octagon.
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