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

Podcast Introduction and Show Discussion00:01

Joe Rogan welcomes Josh Thompson and "Big" John McCarthy to the JRE MMA Show. McCarthy stepped back from podcasting when he resumed refereeing because referees are restricted from discussing promotions, fighters, and potential changes. Thompson created McCarthy Mondays as a workaround to keep McCarthy involved, focusing on topics like the Joe Schilling situation that can be discussed openly.

Rogan expresses appreciation for McCarthy's return to refereeing but wishes he could continue both roles. McCarthy argues transparency is important and referees should be able to share their perspectives on incidents. Concerns arise that referees speaking too openly leads to backlash, requiring commissions to respond and fighters to criticize them.

Rule Changes and Refereeing Challenges02:00

Good public discussion leads to rule improvements, such as eliminating the "one hand down" downed opponent rule and re-legalizing 12-to-6 elbows (except in New Jersey). McCarthy helped write these rule changes, which were approved by the ABC with a six-month implementation period to allow fighters training time. The inconsistency of different rules by location creates unfair complications for fighters and referees.

Debate on 12-to-6 Elbows03:01

Discussion addresses whether 12-to-6 elbows are too dangerous. Dan Cormier expressed concerns about their danger. Rogan counters that if anything should be banned for knee safety, sidekicks to the knees would be more justifiable than 12-to-6 elbows. The group agrees that blown-out brains from head kicks are worse than blown-out knees, and unnecessary damage should be avoided while acknowledging fighters accept some damage as part of the sport.