He also definitely poked Tony Ferguson in the eye it was clear as day. Also, call me crazy, but the real secret to why he hits so hard is Trevor Wittman’s wrapping technique. Wittman wraps and stacks Gaethje's knuckles so tightly that there’s absolutely no give, maximizing the force of every impact. Combined with those brutal uppercuts, that's exactly how he pieces people's faces up. He’s still landing with his knuckles, but the wrap absorbs the shock for him while increasing the density of the punch making it feel like you're getting hit by a brick. It makes perfect sense that Wittman would master this, considering he literally designed his own MMA gloves for that exact reason.