{"id":37328,"date":"2026-03-21T14:52:30","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T14:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sherdog.com\/news\/news\/Chase-Hooper-depressed-by-matchup-between-Ilia-Topuria-Justin-Gaethje-200538"},"modified":"2026-03-21T14:52:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T14:52:30","slug":"chase-hooper-depressed-by-matchup-between-ilia-topuria-justin-gaethje","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/chase-hooper-depressed-by-matchup-between-ilia-topuria-justin-gaethje\/","title":{"rendered":"Chase Hooper ‘depressed’ by matchup between Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n

Chase
\nHooper<\/a> doesn\u2019t like the matchup between Ilia
\nTopuria<\/a> and Justin
\nGaethje<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Interim lightweight champion Gaethje will challenge the undisputed
\nchampion Topuria in a title unification bout at
\nUFC White House<\/a> on June 14. Hooper ideally wants Gaethje to win
\nthe undisputed title and put a fairytale ending to his glorious
\ncareer. However, considering the run that Topuria has been on,
\nHooper doesn\u2019t see that happening. Hooper notes that \u201cEl Matador\u201d
\nhas made a habit of putting legends like Alexander
\nVolkanovski<\/a>, Max
\nHolloway<\/a> and Charles
\nOliveira<\/a> to sleep. Hooper claims he was depressed when Topuria
\nfought Oliveira and immediately turned off the television after the
\nknockout. \u201cThe Dream\u201d would have rather preferred a matchup between
\nTopuria and Islam
\nMakhachev<\/a>, which was allegedly the original plan for the White
\nHouse. However, Hooper is now prepared to be depressed, just like
\nhe was in the matchup between Topuria and Oliveira.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love Justin and I want him to win. I want him to get that belt,
\nthat fairytale ending for his career,\u201d Hooper told Home of Fight<\/a>. \u201cBut God dang, Ilia has just
\nbeen murdering all the legends of the sport. And I\u2019m very depressed
\nby this matchup happening. Who would have thought? \u2013 To take out
\nVolk, to take out Max, to take out Charles. I would have much
\nrather seen Ilia and Islam. That way I could at least be happy with
\nhim beating a Dagestani guy finally. But no, I think I will be
\ndepressed, just like I was when I saw him fight Charles. We
\nimmediately turned the fight off. And then everybody was sitting in
\nsilence for a while. I think this will be kind of that same
\nthing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Topuria (17-0) knocked out Volkanovski to win the featherweight
\ntitle and defended it by handing Holloway his lone knockout loss.
\nThe undefeated Georgian-Spaniard then moved up and knocked out
\nOliveira to win the lightweight title. Meanwhile, Gaethje (27-5) is
\n4-1 in his last five and coming off a decision win over Paddy
\nPimblett<\/a>. <\/p>\n