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John McCarthy Blames Corner For ‘Fantastic’ Rose Namajunas’ Title Loss At UFC 274

Former mixed martial arts referee turned Bellator color commentator and podcast host, ‘Big’ John McCarthy has placed the blame on Rose Namajunas’ corner for her strawweight title loss to Carla Esparza at UFC 274 last weekend. Rose Namajunas, who attempted to avenge a December 2014 submission loss to inaugural strawweight champion, Esparza in the co-main […]

Rose Namajunas, who attempted to avenge a December 2014 submission loss to inaugural strawweight champion, Esparza in the co-main event of UFC 274, suffered a split decision loss to the Torrance native in the pair’s rematch, which has been labeled as one of the most forgettable title fights in Octagon history due to lack of activity.

Rose Namajunas became the first two-time strawweight champion in UFC history back in April of last year

Throughout the fight, however, Namajunas’ corner, Trevor Wittman, as well as partner and lead, Pat Barry – advised Namajunas that she was comfortably winning the fight against Esparza, with Barry notably claiming that the amount of boos and jeers Namajunas was receiving from the crowd at the Footprint Center backed up their successful gameplan.

Following the title loss, Namajunas claimed that she believed she had actually won the fight, due to her defensive approach, which limited the offensive ability of Esparza. However, the aforenoted, McCarthy believes Namajunas’ corner is to blame for their student’s championship dethroning.

“Cornermen need to stop telling their fighters they’re winning the round when they don’t know,” John McCarthy said on his podcast, Weighing In. “If it’s a close round, you gotta say, ‘Hey, no idea whose round that is.’ Or, ‘Hey, we’re gonna have to say we lost that because we don’t know where the judges are gonna go.’”

“You can’t sit there and fall in love with what your fighter is doing based upon, ‘Damn, they looked good…’” John McCarthy said. “Rose Namajunas looked fantastic in movement, her footwork, was beautiful. She was in control of the cage, as far as… she was comfortable and Carla (Esparza) doesn’t have that smooth, fluid style that Rose does, so she looks better.

McCarthy went as far as insisting that Namajunas was still the better fighter when compared with Esparza despite her performance, and her pair of losses against the current gold holder.

“She’s (Rose Namajunas) the better fighter,” John McCarthy said. “But her cornermen were not… Pat Barry and Trevor (Wittman), who I love, they were falling in love with, ‘Ok, now you have to show everyone, take your time, just be careful.’ And finally, it was, like, ‘Alright, show them you’re the best martial artist out there.” (Transcribed by Bloody Elbow)

As far as next title challengers for newly minted champion, Esparza, UFC president hinted that the victor of the upcoming UFC 275 rematch between former titleholders, Zhang Weili, and Joanna Jedrzejczyk would likely meet the Californian for gold next.

Quote: Curtis Blaydes Could Be HW Champ In Any Promotion In The World

Curtis Blaydes has yet to fight for UFC gold, but Bellator commentator and former referee John McCarthy believes ‘Razor’ would be a champ in any promotion right now. Blaydes has been known for his wrestling and has been dominant in that, but in the main event of UFC Columbus, he showed off his striking. He…

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Curtis Blaydes has yet to fight for UFC gold, but Bellator commentator and former referee John McCarthy believes ‘Razor’ would be a champ in any promotion right now.

Blaydes has been known for his wrestling and has been dominant in that, but in the main event of UFC Columbus, he showed off his striking. He was taking on Chris Daukaus and did not shoot for one takedown and ended up getting a second-round TKO.

John McCarthy believes this latest performance proves just how good Blaydes is.

“Curtis has the ability to become the heavyweight champion anywhere. He’s got a lot of skill. he is that good,” McCarthy said on his Weighing In podcast (via Sportskeeda). “He has got good wrestling, he’s got good standup, he’s a smart guy. Curtis Blaydes is, you know one fight away from being a champion. Should he leave UFC, no, not if that’s what, you know, he wants to be and everything., one thing I say with him is, I don’t believe that Curtis should change his style, change his approach to fighting.”

Although John McCarthy says Curtis Blaydes would be a heavyweight champion anywhere, some may disagree. That is due to the fact he has been knocked out twice by Francis Ngannou who is the current UFC champ, so it’s unlikely he will get a third shot anytime soon. He also suffered a KO loss to Derrick Lewis who has fallen out as the top contender, so that too, will hurt his chances of fighting for the belt soon.

However, there is no doubting Blaydes’ skillset as he is a phenomenal wrestler and has shown off improved striking. Also, at 31 years old, he still has time on his side.

Blaydes has also displayed KO power, which is a frightening thought considering he can take his opponent down and maul them or stand and trade and find the stoppage that way.

With that in mind, Blaydes has a legitimate shot at beating any heavyweight in the world as McCarthy says.

Do you agree with John McCarthy that Curtis Blaydes is a heavyweight champion in any promotion?

Continue Reading Quote: Curtis Blaydes Could Be HW Champ In Any Promotion In The World at MMA News.

John McCarthy Walks Back “Round 1” Sterling/Yan Comments

Bellator color commentator and former referee John McCarthy has appeared to change his stance on the opening round of the UFC 273 rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan. In the April 9 co-main event, Sterling proved a lot of people wrong by successfully defending his title against arch-rival Yan, whom he dethroned via disqualification…

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Bellator color commentator and former referee John McCarthy has appeared to change his stance on the opening round of the UFC 273 rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan.

In the April 9 co-main event, Sterling proved a lot of people wrong by successfully defending his title against arch-rival Yan, whom he dethroned via disqualification last year. After the rematch went the distance, “Funk Master’ was awarded a split decision win.

For most, the result came down to a tight first round, with the following four appearing clearly split between the pair. Post-event, McCarthy emphatically disagreed with the two judges who scored the round in Sterling’s favor.

“I was very impressed with Aljamain and the way he fought, but there’s no way he won that first round,” McCarthy said on his Weighing In podcast. “The heavier shots were landed easily by Yan, and I thought it was a smart tactic by Aljamain to stay on the outside, to move continuously, but he didn’t land much… There’s no way in the world you’re gonna tell me that Aljo won that first round.” (h/t MMA Junkie)

McCarthy’s comments drew significant backlash from the champ, who slammed the former UFC official’s take on Twitter. In his own response, the 59-year-old seemingly doubled down on his opinion.

Alright @funkmasterMMA I see that what I say causes you great distress. The fact that I don’t agree on a single round should not effect or impact your life in anyway. I said you fought a great fight and you did, congratulations. Name calling…really, champions are above that.

— Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) April 14, 2022

However, during the latest edition of his podcast, McCarthy offered a different perspective that he formed upon a rewatch of the opening round.

From “No Way” to “Razor-Close,” McCarthy Has A Change Of Heart

Despite originally insisting that there’s “no way in the world” the champ did enough to take the first frame, McCarthy has now described the opening five minutes of action as “razor-close,” and a round that could have gone either way.

McCarthy cited a relaxed view of the fight among friends as the reason for his initial lopsided take.

“I went back and watched the first round. And I will say this, I say it all the time, don’t sit there and talk to your friends and watch a fight and think that you judged it correctly,” admitted McCarthy. “Because, I was talking to my friends. And when I went back and watched it as a judge, it’s razor-close.

“It can go either way. And I can understand where someone looks at Aljamain and gives him the round. And I can look at where you can say that, yes, Yan won the round. It really comes down to what you give credit for, and this is the difference,” concluded McCarthy. (h/t Sportskeeda)

While it’s certainly an admirable trait to change an option based on further evidence, Sterling and his supporters will likely question why McCarthy confidently dismissed his victory on a public forum having not assessed the opening round closely.

And given co-host Josh Thomson’s stern defense of McCarthy’s verdict during a heated interaction on Twitter last week, it’s quite possible that Sterling may have some additional comments reserved for both men after McCarthy’s apparent backtrack.

What do you make of John McCarthy’s latest comments on the first round of Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan 2?

Continue Reading John McCarthy Walks Back “Round 1” Sterling/Yan Comments at MMA News.

Aljamain Sterling Blasts Big John McCarthy & Josh Thomson, Duo Responds

In the aftermath of his successful title defense at UFC 273, bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling has slammed former referee John McCarthy’s scoring of the fight. After a long recovery and spell on the sidelines, which consistently saw some fans and pundits downplay his championship status and credentials, Sterling made good on his promise to prove…

Continue Reading Aljamain Sterling Blasts Big John McCarthy & Josh Thomson, Duo Responds at MMA News.

In the aftermath of his successful title defense at UFC 273, bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling has slammed former referee John McCarthy’s scoring of the fight.

After a long recovery and spell on the sidelines, which consistently saw some fans and pundits downplay his championship status and credentials, Sterling made good on his promise to prove his doubters wrong in his first title defense.

In Florida last weekend, “Funk Master” was awarded a split decision victory. In the eyes of most, the scoring of the fight came down to one round. While two and three were clearly Sterling’s frames, and four and five certainly went the opposite way, a close feeling-out process in the first has split opinion.

While two judges of the three judges, as well as 11 of 18 media members and 40.8% of the voting public on MMA Decisions, gave the round to Sterling, veteran MMA figure “Big” McCarthy believes there’s “no way” the champ did enough to win the opening stanza.

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Sterling hit back. The occupier of the 135-pound throne first took aim at those branding his victory as a “robbery,” a term that tends to be thrown around at will in modern MMA.

“People that says ‘robbery,’ what is a robbery? I don’t even know what a robbery is anymore,” said Sterling. “It’s almost like people that say ‘cringe’ for anything, ‘Ah, that’s cringe, that’s cringe.’ You make a joke, ‘Ah, that’s cringe.’ Everything is cringe, everything is a robbery because your guy didn’t win the round in a very close striking stat.

“It’s pretty black and white. The guy who landed more strikes should win the round, especially when it was pretty much a kicking contest,” Sterling continued. “Who got the better kicks? I did. Who had the better footwork? I did. Who had the more purposeful footwork? I did. Who walks forward with a mean face and just looks scary and didn’t do sh*t? Petr. That’s it.”

Sterling then trained his aim on former UFC official and now-Bellator MMA commentator McCarthy. After slamming the 59-year-old’s ‘clueless’ opinion, the champ encouraged McCarthy to remain quiet about things he could never accomplish.

“For people (to say), ‘There’s absolutely no way you could score that round’ — big stupid John McCarthy voice, dude, go get a clue,” asserted Sterling. “I don’t know how this guy was ever the blueprint standard of MMA, because that guy sucks. His opinion stinks and it sucks. He just says sh*t. I think he just wants people to think that he knows what he’s talking about.

“I think he had an MMA school, I think he had fighters. Which one of them ever did anything? What did his school ever do? Clearly, this guy is so great, right? So what has he ever accomplished? Other than trying to judge people and being completely wrong about the scoring criteria of the fight,” added Sterling. “If you wanna have an opinion, have an opinion John, but it doesn’t mean you’re correct. You are not going by the criteria of how you score a fight. Please, just be quiet and let the big boys do at a high level something you never accomplished.”

McCarthy Gets Support From Podcast Co-Host & Responds Himself

Having taken on one host of the Weighing In podcast, Sterling later went back-and-forth on social media with the other after Josh Thomson came to his friend and fellow Bellator analyst’s aid.

Thomson, a former UFC fighter, questioned why Sterling didn’t have the same energy about UFC President Dana White, who also suggested the judges got it wrong at UFC 273.

“Why didn’t @funkmasterMMA have that same energy when @danawhite said he lost the fight, eh @JohnMcCarthyMMA I’ll wait….”

Interestingly, on the same day that he berated McCarthy’s opinion, Sterling also responded to White’s claim that the judges “blew” it on April 9, inviting the UFC kingpin to explain how, per the criteria, Yan won the first round.

In another tweet, Thomson questioned how Sterling can claim that McCarthy, who has been in and around the sport for the best part of three decades, doesn’t have a grasp of the scoring criteria.

“Exactly! Just like @funkmasterMMA . I’ll make a bet he doesn’t know all the rules to mma so how is he gonna tell someone like @JohnMcCarthyMMA he doesn’t know what he’s talking about? Asking for a friend ….”

Unsurprisingly, Sterling’s response was as firm as we’ve come to expect of the champ since his successful return in Jacksonville. “Funk Master” accused both Thomson and McCarthy of ‘dogging’ him for ratings, as well as reminding “The Punk” that he’d also addressed White’s post-fight remarks.

“Josh… Respectfully. GTFO my [nut emoji] You and John can blow each other in the back studio for all I care. You guys constantly dog me for ratings. Piss off already. FTR, I sh*t on Dana’s opinion too. Now have a sh*tty day!”

In another post, in which he referred to McCarthy as “fatty,” Sterling suggested that anytime an opportunity arises to draw some attention and clicks, Thomson latches onto it.

This dude don’t stop. Any chance for some clicks, him and fatty talk shit about me or throw shade. Like what have you done so great to feel comfortable talking shit about other fighters that are actually DOING IT?

Him of all ppl should respect that and should’ve been checking JM

— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) April 13, 2022

“This dude don’t stop. Any chance for some clicks, him and fatty talk sh*t about me or throw shade. Like what have you done so great to feel comfortable talking sh*t about other fighters that are actually DOING IT? Him of all ppl should respect that and should’ve been checking JM”

John McCarthy would then issue the following response after catching wind of Sterling’s comments.

Alright @funkmasterMMA I see that what I say causes you great distress. The fact that I don’t agree on a single round should not effect or impact your life in anyway. I said you fought a great fight and you did, congratulations. Name calling…really, champions are above that.

— Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) April 14, 2022

“Alright @funkmasterMMA I see that what I say causes you great distress. The fact that I don’t agree on a single round should not (affect) or impact your life in any way. I said you fought a great fight and you did, congratulations. Name calling…really, champions are above that,’ McCarthy wrote.

Sterling would then immediately respond to McCarthy.

“You think I give a shit about someone not agreeing with me? You and josh are CONSTANTLY disrespectful to us fighters. That’s where you both annoy me. Especially Josh, as a former high level athleteYou wanna try to take the high road now? Please look in the mirror Mr Perfect”

Do you agree with Aljamain Sterling? Was John McCarthy’s view of the UFC 273 co-main event wrong?

Continue Reading Aljamain Sterling Blasts Big John McCarthy & Josh Thomson, Duo Responds at MMA News.

John McCarthy Claims There’s ‘No Way In The World’ Aljamain Sterling Won Round One At UFC 273

With many in the mixed martial arts community split on the scoring of last weekend’s UFC 273 co-headliner between champion, Aljamain Sterling, and Petr Yan – former referee, turned podcast host and color commentator, John McCarthy has claimed that there is no feasible way in which Sterling won the opening round of their rematch – […]

Rematching then-interim champion, Yan in the co-main event of the Jacksonville, Florida card, Sterling, a staple of Serra-Longo MMA, successfully unified the promotion’s bantamweight championships with a close, split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) victory over Dudinka native, Yan.

Since the duo’s rematch, many have argued who should have landed a first round win on judge’s scorecards, with many pointing to Yan’s aggressive approach and ability to force Sterling to fight from the Octagon fence, however, the defending champion would land a series of body kicks and other varied offense from his lower limbs throughout the frame – likely landing him the round due to overall activity.

Suffering losses in the final two rounds, Sterling would, however, build up a concise lead in the second and third frames, amassing over three minutes of control time on Yan’s back during each frame – with many arguing round two, in particular, could have feasibly been scored a 10-8 in favor of Sterling.

John McCarthy argues Aljamain Sterling should not have won round one at UFC 273

Sharing his thoughts on the scoring of the title unification and in particular, the opening round – McCarthy, who has since tried his hand at color commentary for Bellator MMA – claimed there is no world where Sterling should win the opening frame.

“There’s is no way in the world you’re going to tell me that Aljo (Aljamain Sterling) won that first round, but I will say, I thought he fought a great fight,” John McCarthy said on his podcast, Weighing In, with co-host, UFC alum, Josh Thomson.”

“I thought it was a smart tactic by Aljamain to stay on the outside, to move continuously, but he didn’t land much,” John McCarthy insisted. “He landed a couple of kicks, not real hard, and he got hit with some heavy shots.” (Transcribed by BJPENN.com)

In the time since their rematch, Sterling had offered to fight Yan in a trilogy bout next year, however, is expected to land his next title defense against former two-time division titleholder, T.J. Dillashaw – whom he called out immediately post-fight.

John McCarthy, Josh Thomson Criticize ‘Clickbait’ Stephen A. Smith ‘Go Back To Basketball’

Former Bellator lightweight contender, Josh Thomson and current promotional color commentator, John McCarthy have both taken umbrage with recent comments from analyst, Stephen A. Smith following UFC 272, urging the ESPN reporter to revert to covering basketball rather than mixed martial arts. Smith, who has received his fair share of criticizm since his transition to […]

Smith, who has received his fair share of criticizm since his transition to analysing mixed martial arts, infamously received major flak after he claimed Donald Cerrone quit and turned in an “atrocious performance” during his UFC 246 loss to former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor in January 2020.

Reacting to last weekend’s UFC 272 headliner between former interim welterweight champion, Colby Covington, and Jorge Masvidal – Stephen A. Smith claimed Masvidal’s lack of wrestling defense was “inexplicable” as he eventually gave up six total takedowns over the course of five rounds en route to his loss to Covington in a unanimous decision display.

Sharing their thoughts on Smith’s comments, former referee, McCarthy, and former UFC lightweight contender, Thomson both criticized Smith’s take on Masvidal’s performance.

“The reason you (Stephen A. Smith) don’t understand, is because you never wrestled a day in your f*cking life,” John McCarthy said on Weighing In. “And to not understand – Jorge (Masvidal) was ready for the wrestling, it’s just that – hey, Colby (Covington) brings a pressure that wore him down. Go back to basketball.”

“Yeah, go back to covering sports where you think you know so much about,” Josh Thomson said. “Countless, countless other athletes have just talked sh*t about you. And this is why – it’s ‘cause you’re clickbait. You are the epitome of what it wrong with social media right now, and the news, and sports talk and all this other crap. Your show, ‘First Take’ all this other sh*t that you guys do, is f*cking trash. It’s always been trash. And ESPN continues to tell you guys you’ve been doing a good job, it’s garbage. You guys are all clickbait, you and all the other guys that you work with, it’s all trash.”

Josh Thomson called for ESPN to part ways with Stephen A. Smith when it comes to UFC coverage

Thomson further claimed that Smith should not cover the sport anymore in tandem with the UFC and their broadcast partners, ESPN.

“It’s really sad that the UFC has to use you (Stephen A. Smith), because you work for ESPN,” Josh Thomson said. “And it’s a slap in the face to our athletes and our fighters. It’s embarrassing and I think, I honestly believe they need to get rid of your ass, working with the UFC at all. ‘Cause everytime, you put your foot in your mouth and say sh*t like this – it adds to the clickbait material you are used to doing from your other shows, and it’s trash…”