Tag: John McCarthy

‘Big’ John McCarthy Breaks Down Why Jon Jones Isn’t a Mount Rushmore MMA Fighter

‘Big’ John McCarthy Breaks Down Why Jon Jones Isn’t a Mount Rushmore MMA FighterFormer UFC referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy doesn’t think Jon Jones belongs on the Mount Rushmore of MMA. When discussing…

‘Big’ John McCarthy Breaks Down Why Jon Jones Isn’t a Mount Rushmore MMA Fighter

Former UFC referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy doesn’t think Jon Jones belongs on the Mount Rushmore of MMA.

When discussing the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, names like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Royce Gracie, and Jon Jones inevitably pop up. The reasons for adding a specific fighter to one’s ‘Mount Rushmore’ list can and usually do vary, but it seems like when someone wants to exclude the reigning undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, there’s usually one universal thought behind his exclusion.

Jon Jones

“I look at it different. If you want to say best fighters for Mount Rushmore, the best fighters there ever was, well Jon Jones is on it,” McCarthy said during a recent episode of his Weighin In podcast with Josh Thomson. “If you’re going to say give me an MMA Mount Rushmore, the criteria for it is different than just best fighter and there’s things that, you know, have been done in the past that I go no, I can’t put you on that. Let’s just be honest” (h/t MMA News).

Does Jon Jones’ history of arrests and PED violations Disqualify him From GOAT Talks?

Obviously, McCarthy is referring to Jon Jones’ laundry list of trouble outside of the Octagon. On three separate occasions between 2015 and 2017, ‘Bones’ was flagged for a variety of banned substances, the first being benzoylecgonine, the primary metabolite of cocaine.

The following year, a urine sample ahead of his scheduled clash with Daniel Cormier at UFC 200 tested positive for two banned substances, clomiphene, an anti-estrogen substance, and letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor. Jones was forced to withdraw from the fight and was slapped with a one-year suspension.

Their fight was eventually rescheduled for UFC 214, but this time around, Jones tested positive for the anabolic steroid Turinabol. Jones was stripped of the light heavyweight title for the third time in his career and was suspended for 15 months.

And then you’ve got his multiple arrests for hit-and-run, domestic violence, DWI, battery, assault, and interference with communications.

Jon Jones

“I take a look at outside of the sport, Jon hasn’t been the greatest ambassador for the sport,” McCarthy added. “He’s had more controversy than I can give him.”

Jon Jones

Josh Thomson and John McCarthy defend UFC star Michael Chandler amid uproar over adopted children

Josh Thomson and John McCarthy defend UFC star Michael Chandler amid uproar over adopted childrenLess than two months away from his return to the Octagon, Michael Chandler is facing a heap of backlash…

Josh Thomson and John McCarthy defend UFC star Michael Chandler amid uproar over adopted children

Less than two months away from his return to the Octagon, Michael Chandler is facing a heap of backlash after opening up about how he hopes to raise his adoptive children.

Chandler and his wife, Brie Chandler, adopted their son Hap in 2017. Five years later they welcomed their second adoptive son, Ace. As most everyone familiar with the fighter already knows, Chandler’s children are black while he and his wife are white.

Michael Chandler and family

That alone has sparked some negative commentary online from those who oppose the concept of transracial adoption, but it was Chandler’s comments during a recent appearance on The Shawn Ryan Show that have seemingly caused many folks to take issue.

“I’m not raising black children, I’m raising children,” Chandler said. “Whether you are black or you are white, no matter what race that you are, there are certain things about being a man and being a good man when it comes to character and integrity and safeguarding the helpless and sticking up for those who need it.

“Being a good man, a good man of reputation, none of that has to do with skin color. Everything has to do with the character of the man. Probably not an answer that some people would say is important but that’s where the world has gone. Where we think that the most important thing about us is our skin color or our gender or our political affiliation.”

Chandler has since come under fire with many arguing that he, as a white man, is ill-equipped to teach his children about black culture and offer them the tools necessary to navigate the world as a black man.

Michael Chandler
Michael Chandler
Michael Chandler
Michael Chandler

Josh Thomson and ‘Big’ John McCarthy come to the defense of Michael chandler

Offering his take on the situation during a recent episode of the WEIGHING IN podcast with co-host ‘Big’ John McCarthy, former MMA star Josh Thomson came to the defense of Chandler and his family amid the “ridiculous” fallout.

“A lot of people that listen to our show know that Michael Chandler and I don’t see eye-to-eye on things,” Thomson began. “We don’t like each other. This is something I feel very strongly about. I feel like Michael Chandler is doing something for these two young boys that they weren’t going to get from their biological parents and I can do nothing, but applaud him for it and there’s not much else I can say.

“It really is important to be brought up in a house with two loving parents. To be provided for and to give them safety and comfort in his own home. Not just the physical things, but the love and I’ve seen videos of him working out side-by-side with his sons. I have nothing, but positive things to [say].

Chiming in, John McCarthy offered some insight into the situation, revealing that the biological mother of the eldest child had specifically chosen Chandler and his wife to adopt her son.

“The mother picked them to be the parents because she knew she couldn’t be. I think that takes great courage on her part, to bring a child into the world and know that I am not prepared to be the parent that this child needs and I need to pick people that I believe can be. Obviously, you’re never going to be 100% sure, but I think she did a great job.

“Why is it that people want to put so much emphasis on how much melanin you have in your skin? Martin Luther King said long ago, that it is not about the color of your skin, it’s about the content of your character, and what Michael Chandler and his wife did is show that they have the character to say skin color means nothing to me. I want to be a loving parent to someone that needs a parent.

“Anyone can have a child, but not everyone can be a true mother or a true father. That is something that takes time. It takes caring. It takes compassion and that’s what those two have brought to the table for their two young sons. And anyone who sits there and says anything other than ‘way to go…’ You want to bring up that he should indoctrinate his sons with black culture. He should indoctrinate them to be real men.”

McCarthy was also quick to slam those doling out the trash talk online, asking those people what they were actively doing to improve the life of another person.

“What are you doing? Where are you adopting people? What are you doing to make someone’s life better? All you do is sit there and criticize. You’re the problem. Michael Chandler and his wife are the answer. They’re doing something. They’re not perfect. They’re not gonna be perfect. None of us are, but I’ll take what they’re doing any day over the people who are complaining.

You can watch Josh Thomson and John McCarthy’s full comments below:

Ex-UFC referee John McCarthy stands up for cain velasquez: ‘Until you’re in that position, please stop’

Cain VelasquezFormer UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is expected to face trial in January for a plethora of charges in…

Cain Velasquez

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is expected to face trial in January for a plethora of charges in California, the most serious being premeditated attempted murder.

In February 2022, Velasquez was taken into custody after allegedly going on a high-speed chase and firing a handgun multiple times at a vehicle said to be carrying three passengers, one of them being 44-year-old Harry Goularte, the man accused of sexually assaulting Velasquez’s son at a daycare operated by his mother, Patricia Goularte. Since news of the incident broke, the ex-UFC superstar has received an outpouring of support from his fans and peers.

Of course, there are those who believe the support being given to Velasquez is misguided considering the severity of the charges he’s facing.

After Velasquez appeared on the WEIGHING IN podcast alongside Josh Thomson and ‘Big’ John McCarthy, the long-time UFC referee turned commentator took a moment to address some of the comments left by fans on YouTube suggesting that they were guilty of glorifying the MMA icon and his alleged crimes.

“The first thing I want to say is this; if you are not a father or a mother of a child and you can’t put yourself into a position where someone possibly did something to that one thing you’re responsible for the moment they’re born, you have this overwhelming feeling of dread,” McCarthy said. “You want to do everything right. You’re not sure what to do with all these things and someone hurts them, anybody… I don’t care who you are. Anybody can lose it and go after the person that did harm to them.

“So, until you’re in that position, please stop. Let the courts decide if he was right or wrong. It is what it is and if you’ve never been in that position, you just don’t know.”

Josh Thomson Weighs In on the Cain Velasquez Situation

Josh Thomson shared his take on the situation with Velasquez, saying:

“I’m gonna take it one step further,” Thomson added. “The bottom line is, in this world right now. Especially right now, there is nothing more precious in this world than our children. Absolutely nothing else. I don’t give a sh*t what your beliefs are. Whether you’re a Christian, whether you’re a Muslim, whether you’re a Buddhist. I don’t give a f*ck. You can have your beliefs and I love and admire all of you that have those beliefs, but there’s nothing in this world more precious than our children.”

If found guilty, Cain Velasquez could face 20 years to life in prison.

Ex-UFC referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy answers for controversial call made more than a decade ago

UFCFormer UFC middleweight contender Tim Kennedy woke up on Wednesday and decided to break out a can of 10-year-old beef. Kennedy, who was once a prominent name in the division after making a name for himself under the Strikeforce banner is still a little salty about a decade-old fight between himself and Yoel Romero. After […]

UFC

Former UFC middleweight contender Tim Kennedy woke up on Wednesday and decided to break out a can of 10-year-old beef.

Kennedy, who was once a prominent name in the division after making a name for himself under the Strikeforce banner is still a little salty about a decade-old fight between himself and Yoel Romero.

After an impressive four-year stint in Strikeforce, Kennedy made his UFC debut in 2013 and promptly rattled off three-straight wins over Roger Gracie, Rafael Natal, and Michael Bisping. That streak led him to a big divisional matchup with Romero at UFC 178. Kennedy clearly lost the opening round, but he stormed back in the second, lighting up the ‘Soldier of God’ with a flurry of strikes.

In between the second and third rounds, there was some confusion that ultimately led to Romero being allowed to sit on his stool for longer than the traditional 60 seconds of allotted time between each round. With more time to recover, Romero came surging back in the third and finished Kennedy less than a minute into the final round.

Tim Kennedy was left fuming and apparently, a decade later, he’s still not over it.

“Robbery anniversary and the end of my fight career,” Kennedy wrote on X. “Dear Nevada Athletic Commission. NAC 467.728 If a combatant fails or refuses to resume competing when the bell sounds … the referee shall award a decision of TKO.”

Former UFC Ref John McCarthy Offers Explanation to Tim Kennedy

Kennedy’s comments didn’t go unnoticed by legendary UFC referee, and the man who just happened to be overseeing Kennedy’s fight with Romero that night, ‘Big’ John McCarthy.

Responding to Kennedy’s comments on social media, McCarthy offered a lengthy explanation for what happened that evening and why Romero was allowed to continue after taking longer than the allowed time.

“Tim you are an amazing person and I truly wish the very best life has to offer both you and your family,” McCarthy wrote. “Perhaps I could of done something differently during your fight. I wish I had the forethought to envision this exact situation before it ever occurred and that way I may have handled it differently.

“But you are not stating facts about what occurred. Yoel was told to stay seated by the NSAC Inspector. The truth is the Cutman hired and paid for by the UFC did not re-enter the cage when summoned to do so and that is what held up the start of the 3rd round. It is not Yoel’s fault that this occurred and the Cutman is not part of Yoel’s official corner. Language barriers did not help as well.

It’s egregious to penalize a person when they are not at fault and that is why there were no point deductions nor DQ. Was it completely fair to you? No I don’t believe it was, but there are times when there is no perfect solution in the moment. I hope the very best for you in all that you do.”

Most UFC fans were quick to suggest that Yoel Romero had intentionally milked the clock to allow himself more time to recover, but with McCarthy offering up his explanation, do you see it differently now?

Ex-UFC official John McCarthy calls out Dana White for trying to rewrite the promotion’s history

Dana WhiteEx-UFC referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy doesn’t always agree with how Dana White attempts to rewrite the promotion’s storied history, particularly during its rise to prominence in the early 2000s. Ahead of the UFC’s first event to celebrate Mexican Independence Day, the newly dubbed CEO of the UFC, Dana White, sat down for an uncensored interview […]

Dana White

Ex-UFC referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy doesn’t always agree with how Dana White attempts to rewrite the promotion’s storied history, particularly during its rise to prominence in the early 2000s.

Ahead of the UFC’s first event to celebrate Mexican Independence Day, the newly dubbed CEO of the UFC, Dana White, sat down for an uncensored interview with Piers Morgan. During their conversation, White looked back on the history of the promotion and credited late U.S. Senator John McCain with helping the UFC get sanctioned after he famously called the bloodsport nothing more than “human cockfighting.”

Dana White echoed similar sentiments in a 2008 interview with Sports Illustrated.

“I consider John McCain the guy who started the UFC. If it wasn’t for McCain I wouldn’t be here right now,” White said. “What people don’t understand about mixed martial arts and the UFC is, what [McCain] was saying to the old owners is that you cannot put on fights in states that aren’t sanctioned. It’s illegal. You can’t do it. You have to be sanctioned by an athletic commission, which we agreed with him on 100 percent. John McCain wasn’t saying this thing shouldn’t happen, or it shouldn’t be running. He was saying, if ‘You’re going to do it, it has to be sanctioned by an athletic commission.’ We agree.”

A year prior, John McMain said, “They have cleaned up the sport to the point, at least in my view, where it is not human cockfighting anymore.”

John McCarthy Says Dana White’s John McCain Story is Not Entirely Accurate

All of that is good and well, but according to John McCarthy, it’s not entirely accurate.

“What has got me in trouble with Dana [White]… I was there from the beginning,” McCarthy said during a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast. “Before there was the sport. I know everything that happened, I know who created things…they create their own history, and that’s one of the things that bothered me about Dana was, he was rewriting history. When people didn’t know, he would just insert his form of ‘Well, we did this, we did that’, and it’s like, no you didn’t… You can only go so many times until you say ‘Alright, you’re just going to lie about it’.

“He was honest [in the Piers Morgan interview]. He talked about what John McCain said before he was part of the sport. He said ‘He kinda did us a favor because his big thing was to get this regulated’…from Dana’s point, I can understand why he says that, but that’s not completely the story… He was honest with everything he said in the interview, I thought he was great” (h/t MMA News).

Earlier this month, the UFC officially merged with World Wrestling Entertainment to form a new publicly traded company, TKO Group. The UFC was given a staggering 12.3 billion dollar evaluation seven years removed from the promotion’s sale to Endeavor for $4 billion. The new entity, TKO, is said to have a total value tipping the scales at $21 billion after bringing the MMA empire and the pro wrestling juggernaut under the same banner.

Ex-UFC ref ‘Big’ John McCarthy comments on legality of Justin Gaethje’s brutal head kick KO at UFC 291

Justin GaethjeFormer referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy has weighed in on the legality of Justin Gaethje’s stunning second-round head kick KO against Dustin Poirier at UFC 291. On Saturday night, Gaethje gave fans a sequel to last year’s ‘Headshot, Dead’ moment by delivering his own jaw-dropping finish against lightweight rival Dustin Poirier. ‘The Highlight’ was the toast […]

Justin Gaethje

Former referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy has weighed in on the legality of Justin Gaethje’s stunning second-round head kick KO against Dustin Poirier at UFC 291.

On Saturday night, Gaethje gave fans a sequel to last year’s ‘Headshot, Dead’ moment by delivering his own jaw-dropping finish against lightweight rival Dustin Poirier. ‘The Highlight’ was the toast of the town following his highlight-reel-worthy finish, getting some attention from former opponent Michael Chandler and Irish megastar Conor McGregor. Gaethje also left the Delta Center as the promotion’s newly designated baddest motherf*cker in the game.

But as the dust began to settle, some fans came out questioning whether or not Justin Gaethje’s head kick finish was actually legal. On Twitter, one user, in particular, noted that Gaethje’s foot appeared to wrap around and tag the back of Dustin Poirier’s head, making it an illegal strike.

“I’m not advocating for anything to be done about it but I watched back Gaethje’s headkick KO & it solely landed on the back of the head/neck of Poirier which put him to sleep,” MMA Joey wrote on Twitter. “It’s clear as day in the replay. Could this in any universe be used to appeal the loss? #UFC291”

John McCarthy Confirms Justin Gaethje’s ‘Headshot, Dead’ Sequel Was Perfectly Legal

While the clip shows Gaethje’s foot hitting more of Poirier’s neck rather than his head, it immediately had fight fans questioning whether or not Poirier could make an appeal with the athletic commission.

Enter long-time UFC referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy, who provided his insight on the devastating knockout blow.

“Well the shin didn’t land on Dustin’s chin,” McCarthy wrote. “It landed on Dustin’s arm which was driven into the head and jawline by the shin. The foot wrapping around towards the back of the head is totally legal.”

With his victory at UFC 291, Justin Gaethje will now turn his attention toward adding another title belt to his collection. Specifically, the lightweight title that currently resides with Dagestani destroyer Islam Makhachev. In October, Makhachev is set to defend his title against former champion Charles ‘Do Bronx’ Oliveira at UFC 294. The winner is now expected to face Gaethje in early 2024.