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

The podcast opens with Joe Rogan praising Josh Thompson and Big John McCarthy's MMA show, leading into a discussion about why McCarthy stepped back from podcasting when he returned to refereeing — noting that commissions restrict referees from publicly commenting on promotions and fighters. Rogan argues this is counterproductive to transparency and improving the sport.

A significant portion of the conversation focuses on unified MMA rules, particularly the reinstatement of 12-to-6 elbows and the frustration that New Jersey still hasn't adopted them. McCarthy explains the history behind these rules and the confusion created when fighters have to revert to old rules in certain jurisdictions. The group also debates banned techniques like stomps and sidekicks to the knees, with Rogan arguing that if any technique should be scrutinized, it should be kicks to the head given the greater long-term brain damage potential.

The trio spends considerable time discussing legendary fighters including Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Cro Cop, Edson Barbosa, Jose Aldo, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Alex Pereira. McCarthy shares a personal story about working out with Fedor and being struck by his explosive speed. The discussion of Cro Cop leads to an analysis of how Fedor uniquely solved the 'Cro Cop problem' by pressing forward and nullifying his left head kick. Khabib is praised extensively — McCarthy reveals that Khabib is the only UFC fighter to never visibly bleed in his career, and his discipline and lifestyle are held up as the gold standard for combat sports athletes.

Weight cutting is addressed as one of the most dangerous and absurd practices in MMA. McCarthy argues it's paradoxical that athletes in the most dangerous sport are deliberately starved and dehydrated before competition. The group discusses potential solutions like random weigh-ins and tighter weight management rules, but concludes these are nearly impossible to implement industry-wide. Several fighters are cited as extreme examples, including Michael Morales walking around at 205-210 lbs for a 170 lb division.

The Rico Verhoeven vs. Usyk boxing match is analyzed, with all three agreeing the stoppage was premature and the judging was questionable — with McCarthy noting the referee's mistake of walking the mouthpiece to the corner wasted critical recovery time that should have benefited Usyk. This leads to a broader discussion about judging controversies, corrupt scoring in boxing, and the FBI's investigation into suspicious betting patterns around UFC fights.

Brain trauma and fighter safety receive serious attention. The group discusses the APOE4 gene's role in CTE susceptibility, the importance of recovery time after knockouts, and specific cautionary tales like Travis Lutter, Mirko Cro Cop's brother, and Joey Beltran. McCarthy criticizes coaches who keep fighting damaged fighters out of fear of losing them as clients.

The conversation covers current UFC divisions, with enthusiasm for fighters like Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, Islam Makhachev, Sean Brady, and Yaroslav Amosov. The absence of Francis Ngannou from the UFC is called a 'shame,' with Rogan sharing that he tried to broker reconciliation between Ngannou and Dana White.

Toward the end, the podcast addresses social and political topics: the Joe Schilling fight stoppage controversy, Scott Coker's new MMA promotion, the planned White House UFC event (with concerns about outdoor heat and bugs), Ibogaine's FDA rescheduling (which Rogan claims he personally arranged through a text to Trump), California's homelessness crisis, government fraud and DOGE, and tax policy. McCarthy shares his work writing bare-knuckle boxing rules and his advocacy for fighter retirement funds through California Assembly Bill 2130.