John McCarthy

McCarthy characterizes the headbutt on Schilling as an intentional, malicious foul.

“I call it malicious. It's a malicious attack on him. You're maliciously trying to inflict an injury on someone through a foul”

The Joe Rogan Experience: JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthy (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 2:07:47

McCarthy explains that a referee cannot force a fighter to continue once he asks to stop.

“you can't make somebody fight. If someone says, I want out of the fight, they're out of the fight”

The Joe Rogan Experience: JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthy (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 2:04:41

McCarthy, a former police officer, argues that placing mentally ill homeless people in treatment is better for them and the public.

“it's better for them and it's better for the people that are out on the street just trying to live their lives”

The Joe Rogan Experience: JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthy (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 2:38:13

McCarthy says California's Assembly Bill 2130, which would have funded retired fighters through sponsorships rather than taxes, was turned down.

“It was Assembly Bill 2130 in California. And that assembly bill was no money out of the taxpayers' money, zero taxpayer money”

The Joe Rogan Experience: JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthy (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 2:13:35

McCarthy says he wrote the original rules for Bare Knuckle FC at Dave Feldman's request.

“I wrote the rules for Bare Knuckle long ago. Dave Feldman came to me and said, hey, I need rules written for me”

The Joe Rogan Experience: JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthy (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 2:09:39

McCarthy argues enhancement is different in combat sports because it increases the damage inflicted on another person.

“But it's different when you're lifting a weight or you're swimming in a pool or doing those things or you're beating on another human being”

The Joe Rogan Experience: JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthy (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 1:34:02

McCarthy considers Jon Jones the greatest but Khabib the most dominant fighter he ever refereed.

“The most dominant fighter I ever stepped into that cage with was Khabib”

The Joe Rogan Experience: JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthy (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 1:11:35

McCarthy says from experience that using five judges instead of three does not change outcomes.

“I've worked with it. I've done it too many times. It doesn't change anything”

The Joe Rogan Experience: JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthy (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 51:38

McCarthy says sending the mouthpiece to the corner for rinsing showed the referee had not kept up with current refereeing practice.

“No, what it means is you have not advanced as a referee to understand what we do now”

The Joe Rogan Experience: JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthy (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 40:13

McCarthy argues random weigh-ins could be implemented by a promotion but not across the sport because of state licensing limits.

“You could do it as a promotion. You can't do it as an industry within the sport”

The Joe Rogan Experience: JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthy (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 22:14

McCarthy says he wrote the rule changes legalizing 12-to-6 elbows, which the ABC passed with a six-month implementation period.

“I wrote those things out, and they were passed by the ABC, but we gave six months”

The Joe Rogan Experience: JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthy (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 2:45