Dan Hooker is known for being one of the UFC’s most exciting fighters, but his upcoming matchup with Justin Gaethje might push both warriors to the limit.

The lightweight bonus collectors star in the co-main event of UFC 313 on March 8 in Las Vegas, one fight down from the light heavyweight title bout between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev. While Pereira is one of MMA’s biggest stars, even he will have a tough act to follow if Hooker vs. Gaethje goes as expected.

Hooker and Gaethje are booked to go five rounds, and Hooker had a humorous response when asked why he felt the matchmakers decided to give extra time to the non-title affair.

“I just think the UFC wants to see someone die,” Hooker said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “I think they want a finish. They want this fight. As well, I feel like for the fans they want to see someone go down. They want to see blood. They want to see Round 4 and 5. I’m happy to oblige for money.”

The good news is that according to Hooker, he is receiving additional compensation for going two extra rounds with Gaethje, a daunting task for any lightweight. In his 13 UFC appearances, “The Highlight” has compiled an absurd eight Fight of the Night awards and five Performance of the Night bonuses. Hooker’s three Fight of the Night and three Performance bonuses might seem meager in comparison, but the New Zealand standout is widely regarded as a guarantee to deliver action when the cage door closes.

Hooker knows exactly what he’s signing up for and he has the deepest respect for Gaethje heading into their contest.

“This fight is not about talking,” Hooker said. “I’m expecting no disrespect from Justin Gaethje and there will be none heading that way. But inside the cage, absolute killers. I respect him for taking this fight. It’s a dangerous fight. I feel like there’s a lot of tough fights out there, but I feel like there’s a lot more low-risk fights or potentially less dangerous fights, I guess.”

As he heads into Year 15 of his pro fighting career, Hooker has shown no signs of slowing down. He’s currently on a three-fight win streak, having scored a pair of thrilling split decision wins over ranked contenders Mateusz Gamrot and Jalin Turner in his past two bouts. He is currently the No. 9 lightweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings.

At some point, Hooker will hang up the gloves... a decision that will actually open up a new fighting avenue for him. Hooker had high praise for BKFC’s KnuckleMania 5 event that took place this Saturday, and he envisions a post-MMA future where he tries his hand at bare-knuckle boxing.

“Like I’m just not going to fight anyone when I stop fighting,” Hooker said. “No, I’m going to fight people without gloves. That sport looks like the funnest thing for me to do in the world. I don’t know what everyone else is into, but that looks like fun.”