JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthy

Josh Thompson (0:03)

The Joe Rogan Experience.

Josh Thompson (0:06)

Trained by day, Joe Rogan Podcast by night, all day.

Joe Rogan (0:12)

Gentleman, you're live. What's happening? Good to see you.

Big John McCarthy (0:15)

What is up?

Joe Rogan (0:17)

I enjoy your show. Your show's excellent. You guys have a really good MMA show. It's really solid.

Big John McCarthy (0:21)

Thank you, I kind of blew that as well.

Joe Rogan (0:24)

How'd you blow it?

Big John McCarthy (0:24)

We can talk about that. I got to talk to you about it.

Joe Rogan (0:27)

You guys are not doing it anymore?

Big John McCarthy (0:29)

I stepped back away when I started refereeing again.

Joe Rogan (0:32)

God damn it. You got to go back to doing it. You guys are great. You guys are a great combination.

Big John McCarthy (0:36)

I think I might.

Josh Thompson (0:38)

What we did is we started doing McCarthy Mondays, because when he went back to refereeing, he's not allowed to talk about promotions, not allowed to talk about fighters and what's wrong, and the things that possibly can make some changes. And so we just started McCarthy Monday, where we just talk about the Joe Schilling situation. That's something we could talk about, right? So I created a show for him to just only do on Mondays.

Big John McCarthy (0:59)

He created.

Josh Thompson (1:00)

Nice. Well, it's his input. I was just trying to find ways to keep him involved.

Joe Rogan (1:06)

I love that you're refereeing again. We need great referees, but I wish you were out there doing both. It doesn't make sense to me that you can't do both. It's not like you're not going to be a great referee while also still being able to comment objectively about promotions. It's important.

Big John McCarthy (1:20)

It is important.

Joe Rogan (1:21)

It's important.

Big John McCarthy (1:22)

Transparency, where's ever the problem with that?

Joe Rogan (1:25)

Exactly.

Big John McCarthy (1:26)

But you get these people that, oh no, because you might say something that is going to create a problem, and it's not a problem if it's the truth.

Joe Rogan (1:34)

That's ridiculous. I mean, if that was the case, how come I can do it as a commentator? How come all these guys can do it?

Big John McCarthy (1:40)

Because you're the best?

Joe Rogan (1:41)

Yeah, but I mean, everybody should be able to have a voice, especially referees.

Like, if something happens and you're a referee and you could say, here's my perspective, this is why I did what I did. And you have it on a podcast on a regular basis. That's a benefit to everybody.

Josh Thompson (1:58)

So that is what I'm trying to clear with him.

Big John McCarthy (2:00)

I believe you're right.

Josh Thompson (2:01)

But what you run into is you run into some issues where the referee says too much and then people come back at him and then the commissions have to answer for it. And then the fighters dig on them.

Joe Rogan (2:11)

Good. People are talking. Good. That's how shit gets solved. That's how you don't have like one hand down. It's not a downed opponent anymore. Why? Because we fucking complain forever. 12 to 6 elbows. They're legit again. Except in New Jersey.

Big John McCarthy (2:27)

Do you see the problem?

Joe Rogan (2:28)

Yeah.

Big John McCarthy (2:28)

You see the god damn problem?

Joe Rogan (2:30)

When we were in New Jersey, I was like, you've got to be kidding me. How the fuck do you guys not have 12 to 6 elbows?

Josh Thompson (2:34)

You can't make it any more complicated for the referees and the fighters.

Joe Rogan (2:37)

It's so dumb. It's the dumbest fucking thing.

Big John McCarthy (2:39)

It's so unfair to the fighters themselves because when we went, like I was part, I wrote those things out and they were passed by the ABC. But we gave six months, six months, because you got to give the fighters time to train to make sure that they get it right. Okay.

So put it in, it works great. Now you expect them to go back to one location.

Joe Rogan (3:03)

In the middle of a fight.

Big John McCarthy (3:04)

Exactly. One location and now they're going to automatically go back to the old rules.

Do you realize what you're doing to them?

Joe Rogan (3:11)

It doesn't make any sense either. The old rules are fucking stupid. We all agreed.

SPEAKER_6 (3:16)

Everybody, no one was like, no, no, no, 12 to six elbows are too dangerous.