"It was kind of awkward, because the Contender Series is obviously a ton of pressure (and) I was really disappointed I didn't get signed. Initially, they gave me a developmental deal, and then my mindset was like, 'Do not make Contender Series the peak of my career. I want to get past that.'
"Then, once I made my UFC debut, that pressure was off for that fight. And then, once I won that fight, (it was) kind of like a, 'What have I gotten myself into?' type of moment.
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"My debut was on the card for Max Holloway vs Alexander Volkanovski 1. So it's like, watching that fight, and then comparing myself to that, it's like, 'How am I in the same sport, the same division, the same roster, as these guys?' There's obviously that imposter syndrome. But I've stuck around this long. I've proved to myself that I belong here, which is the biggest part. And yeah, we're just making headway. I feel like I'm in the prime of my career, and I'm just looking forward to the next challenge, next fight."
That next fight comes against Lance Gibson Jr, a former Bellator veteran who lives and trains just across the border in British Columbia. Hooper has crossed paths with him a few times over the years, but this will be the first time they've faced off in competition.
"He's a local guy, actually, I've shared the back room with him before, some of my teammates were on the card with him, and, yeah, I've seen some of his fights in the local circuit, watched some of his Bellator stuff back in the day – just keeping an eye on other local guys," he said.