AI Summary
5 min readJoe Rogan, Josh Thompson, and "Big" John McCarthy sat down for a sprawling, three-hour conversation that covered the state of MMA from every angle: the absurdity of outdated rules, the science of weight cutting, the economics of fighter pay, the damage fighters absorb, and the sport's most memorable characters. The throughline is a shared frustration with how the sport is governed and how fighters are treated, paired with a deep appreciation for the athletes who transcend those limitations.
The Absurdity of Outdated Rules
A recurring theme is how many of MMA's rules are arbitrary, inconsistent, or just plain stupid. McCarthy, who helped write the original unified rules, points to the 12-to-6 elbow rule as a prime example. The ban was lifted nationally, but New Jersey still enforces it. "You can't make it any more complicated for the referees and the fighters," McCarthy says. The inconsistency forces fighters to unlearn and relearn techniques depending on the venue. The same logic applies to the debate over knees on the ground and stomps. McCarthy argues stomps are ineffective unless a fighter is already badly hurt, citing Sakuraba's fights as evidence. The real danger, he says, is not the technique itself but the context—a cage changes everything because a fighter can be pinned against the fence with nowhere to go.
Weight Cutting and Fighter Health
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:12) **Show Intro & McCarthy Mondays** - Joe welcomes Josh Thompson and "Big" John McCarthy; they discuss why John stopped his regular MMA show and started "McCarthy Mondays" after returning to refereeing.
- 2 (02:22) **12-to-6 Elbows & The New Jersey Problem** - The group debates the re-legalization of 12-to-6 elbows and the confusion caused by New Jersey not adopting the new unified rules.
- 3 (05:15) **Knees on the Ground, Stomps & Pride-Era Violence** - A discussion on banned techniques, the effectiveness of stomps, and the legacy of Pride fighters like Shogun Rua and the Emelianenko brothers.
- 4 (11:08) **Fedor Emelianenko: Speed, Power & The Russian Style** - Josh and John break down what made Fedor so special, from his explosive speed to his unique fighting style.
- 5 (15:59) **Mirko Cro Cop's Left Kick & The Transition to MMA** - A deep dive on Cro Cop's devastating left high kick and how he successfully transitioned from kickboxing to MMA.
- 6 (22:50) **Weight Cutting: The Grossest Thing in MMA** - A critical look at the dangers and absurdity of extreme weight cutting, with proposals for reform.
- 7 (28:55) **Massive Weight Cuts & The Rumble Johnson Effect** - The conversation shifts to extreme examples of weight cutting, including Michael Morales and the late Anthony "Rumble" Johnson.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Joe sits down with Josh Thompson, a retired champion mixed martial artist and fight analyst, and Big John McCarthy, a veteran mixed martial arts referee, Professional Fighters League commentator, and founder of Big John McCarthy’s C.O.M.M.A.N.D., an internationally recognized training school for referees and judges in mixed martial arts. Josh and John host the “Weighing In” podcast.
www.youtube.com/@WeighingIn
https://linktr.ee/weighinginpodcast
www.mmareferee.com
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