Dan Hooker defends Justin Gaethje against critics while previewing their UFC 313 showdown: "What are you guys watching?"

Dan Hooker and Justin Gaethje are set to go to war in the co-main event of UFC 313 on Mar. 8. With them being among the most entertaining fighters not just in the lightweight division, but on the UFC roster as a whole, fans can expect an epic five round clash between the two.

Ahead of the bout, 'The Hangman' has come to the defense of his upcoming opponent. The Kiwi addressed the narrative that Gaethje was a wild and reckless fighter with little technique, who relied on pressure, pace and power to break opponents.

Hooker shared high praise for Gaethje's skills during a recent interview with Combat TV. He said:

"He is a really skillful fighter. I'd say he's textbook, by the book. Technically he's a very, very sound fighter. He's hard to hit, too. I don't know what everyone's talking about. What are you guys watching, when you guys are looking at the TV? You know what I mean? I'm watching fights. He's a really hard guy to hit. He moves a lot, good footwork, good angles. What are other people staring at?"

Catch Dan Hooker discuss Justin Gaethje below (3:30):

---

Dan Hooker reveals pub-brawl story ahead of UFC 313 clash

Dan Hooker jokingly stated that he was already "1-0" in 2025 after revealing that he recently got into a brawl in a pub. During a recent appearance on The Morning Rumble, Hooker detailed the story behind his wild scrap, while previewing his UFC 313 clash.

He said:

"[My manager] called me up and he's like, 'It's only seven weeks [until UFC 313], have you been on the piss?' I said, 'It's been summer! I've been fighting. I'm already 1-0 this year!' I'm 1-0 down the pub, I was."

He continued:

"It wasn't a random. It was me and Aaron Tau down the pub. My manager's like, 'He must have deserved it.' I was like, 'Nah, nah he really didn't.' I said [that] I liked his mate's hat so I took his hat... Aaron's like, 'Give his hat back!' In my head I was like, 'He's got a fair argument.' But what came out was, 'What are you going to do about it?' And then a few bang-bangs, got a scar on my knuckle to prove it."

Catch Dan Hooker's comments below: