UFC Baku newcomer Jefferson Nascimento questions why ‘easy money’ Chase Hooper is still on the UFC roster

Jefferson Nascimento will make his UFC debut on short notice at UFC Baku on June 27, facing fellow promotional newcomer Tahir Abdullaev in a welterweight bout after receiving the call on June 16. The Brazilian lightweight, fresh off a dominant run in the LFA where he won the title four times and compiled a perfect 13-0 professional record, has long expressed frustration at seeing less accomplished fighters already competing at the sport's highest level.

Nascimento's frustration specifically targeted Chase Hooper, a UFC lightweight who lost to Lance Gibson Jr. in April, the same month Nascimento earned his promotional contract with a fourth-round knockout in his LFA title defense. In April, before that win, Nascimento posted a tongue-in-cheek fake UFC fight announcement with Hooper, questioning why fighters like him held roster spots while Nascimento remained climbing the ranks in Brazil. "Easy money," Nascimento said of Hooper when asked about a potential future matchup. "I don't know what he's doing here, or why he was here and I wasn't." Hooper is scheduled to fight Mitch Ramirez on July 18 in Oklahoma City.

Nascimento, billed as one of Brazil's top prospects to watch in 2024, embraced the short-notice opportunity despite moving up a weight class. He thrives on fighting in hostile territory—facing booing crowds abroad energizes him and adds pressure to opponents. "I'm calmer" now than when prospects were tracking him two years ago, he explained, and "this is the right moment for me to shine." After UFC Baku, Nascimento plans to return to lightweight but remains open to welterweight opportunities if the UFC calls again. He predicts a war with Abdullaev and is confident his striking will prove decisive. "It could very well end in a knockout," Nascimento said.