Tag: John McCarthy

John McCarthy weighs in on Manuel Torres vs. Drew Dober stoppage at UFC on ESPN 64

John McCarthy thinks Manuel Torres vs. Drew Dober at UFC on ESPN 64 was stopped too late.

[autotag]John McCarthy[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 64 was stopped too late.

Torres (16-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) dropped Dober (27-15 MMA, 13-11 UFC) with a straight right, followed by a series of unanswered hammerfists to score the Round 1 TKO in Saturday’s co-main event at Arena CDMX in Mexico City.

Many, including Torres, took issue with how long it took referee Mike Beltran to wave the fight off after Dober wasn’t intelligently defending himself. Veteran referee McCarthy acknowledges that it’s tough to gauge sometimes, but thinks Beltran let Dober take too much unnecessary damage.

“The stoppage was a little slow when you look at it,” McCarthy said on his “Weighing In” podcast. “It was good, but it was a little slow because of the uniqueness of what you watched off of the way he went down and then the way he just stayed in one spot eating 15 shots that were hard and again, people think, ‘Oh a hammer fist.’

“Hammer fists have power. I just don’t know how to tell you man, don’t let someone get a free shot on the side of your noggin with a good hammer fist because we’ve done studies on all that stuff, and you’ll get people able to throw a hammer fist every bit as hard as someone throwing a straight shot.”

McCarthy says Beltran should have trusted his initial instinct.

“He actually stepped in, and then was like, ‘Oh, got to give him more of a shot,'” McCarthy said. “It’s like: No, you should have stopped it there. You had the right read. But I understand why he didn’t.”

Dober, who now has lost three straight fights, took to X to react to his loss.

“Well, that sucked. A beautifully timed one two by Manuel Torres. There’s not much to go off of other than, unfortunately, stepping in front of the rear hand of a long power puncher.

“As much as I love Mexico City, it’s given me two of my most embarrassing losses of my career, haha. But the food and people are still the best. I’m happy and healthy and excited to be a stay at home dad for a while.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

John McCarthy explains why Chris Curtis’ UFC Fight Night 249 stoppage loss was a mistake

John McCarthy says Chris Curtis has a right to be upset about his stoppage loss to Roman Kopylov at UFC Fight Night 249.

[autotag]John McCarthy[/autotag] believes [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] has a right to be upset about his loss at UFC Fight Night 249.

Curtis (31-12 MMA, 5-4 UFC) was outraged by referee Mark Smith’s stoppage of his fight against [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) on Saturday at the UFC Apex, where he was dropped with one second left in the fight.

After landing a head kick that floored Curtis, Kopylov walked way, prompting Smith to waive the fight off. Curtis immediately protested, and former referee McCarthy explains why he agrees.

“Going into the third, I had it 1-1,” McCarthy said on his “Weighing-In” podcast. “It was obvious Kopylov was winning the third round, but I know the stoppage was bad. If Kopylov had gone after Chris, it’s a good stoppage. …You’ve got to stop the fight when the person cannot defend themselves and at that moment, there was nothing to defend against. You’re taking a look at what happened with Curtis. Curtis got hurt, he got hit with a good kick and goes down on the side, but he’s looking towards his opponent to a point, and his opponent’s walking off.

“He has nothing to defend. Don’t stop the fight there. If he’s out, stop the fight. But if he’s not, and his opponent’s walking off and you know I’ve already heard the clapping of the boards, so I know I’ve been counting off in my head, if you’re doing the job correctly, what second I’m at. I know that I’ve only got two, three seconds left in this fight, and I have an opponent who’s walking away, I don’t stop the fight.”

Kopylov defended Smith’s stoppage, whereas Curtis released a statement after the fight venting his frustration.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.

Why John McCarthy thinks odd judge out is often right when scoring bouts

John McCarthy explains that one judge having a drastically different scorecard isn’t always a bad thing.

[autotag]John McCarthy[/autotag] thinks that one judge having a drastically different scorecard for an MMA fight compared to his colleagues isn’t always a bad thing.

The original UFC referee and MMA pioneer sees the scenario often, in which two judges agree on one scorecard, but the third counts it as something completely different.

That third judge is often chastised, but McCarthy argues that unorthodox fighters make it difficult to score fights. He used a UFC legend as an example to explain his case.

“No judge wants to be the odd person out, but sometimes I’m going to tell you the odd person out is the one that’s right,” McCarthy told MMA Junkie Radio. “You’ll see many times, it’s a close fight and you’ll see two judges going with one person because they’re flashier. They do things that look smoother, look cleaner as they’re throwing it.

“Remember Keith Jardine? Keith was herky-jerky in everything he did, but he was effective and he landed hard shots, and so a lot of judges wouldn’t give him the credit that he deserved in the fight based upon it just didn’t look good. It didn’t flow well, but he was effective, and so there are many times you’re going to see there could be that fight where the judge that’s the odd person out is actually the judge that got it right.”

An example where the odd judge out could have been right is during Ciryl Gane’s controversial split decision win over Alexander Volkov at UFC 310 earlier this month. Volkov was outraged by two of the judges scoring the fight the same way, 29-28 in favor of Gane, whereas judge Eric Colon had it 29-28 Volkov.

Judging is an issue that persists across all combat sports and not just MMA, but McCarthy is of the belief that the outlash over a particular scorecard can be misdirected.

Check out the video above to hear more from McCarthy on the state of MMA judging.

Veteran official John McCarthy reveals rule he’d like to see legalized in MMA

Should knees to a grounded opponent be allowed in MMA? John McCarthy thinks so.

Veteran official [autotag]John McCarthy[/autotag] likes where MMA is currently at in terms of its ruleset and officiating. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t things he would change.

McCarthy, a retired MMA referee who helped create the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts rule set in the early 2000s, wants to see the sport adopt knees to a grounded opponent – which are currently illegal.

“I would love to see it knees to the head someday, but I don’t think it’s going to happen, but I would like to see it,” McCarthy told MMA Junkie Radio. “I think it would be a good thing for the sport.”

Knees to a grounded opponent have long been a divisive and controversial topic in MMA. Many romanticize them, as they were a key aspect of the now-defunct Japanese MMA promotion PRIDE FC and are currently allowed in Rizin FF and ONE Championship in Asia, while some think they are too brutal.

McCarthy thinks knees to a grounded opponent would make the MMA more realistic and exciting.

“I’m going to be honest, as a fan of the sport and even as an official, I look and say knees to the head to someone that’s on the ground, not soccer kicks, it’s different, but knees to the head of somebody on the ground could be effective in the fight,” McCarthy explained. “What it can do is that it keeps the defensive fighter from putting themselves in positions that they could be attacked with a knee if it was legal, but they know that they can’t, so they’re utilizing rules to protect themselves than skill sets.

“You go and you watch fighters that switch organizations to Rizin or ONE and have to change. They change quickly. Demetrious Johnson was a guy that got hurt and lost to Moraes off of a knee when he was grounded, but he learned from it and came back.

The main argument against knees to a grounded opponent is that they make the sport more dangerous. However, McCarthy disagrees.

“When you sit there and look at it and go, ‘Well, that’s terrible for the fighter,’ what’s the difference between being able to knee someone on the head when they’re standing or if they’re on the ground? There is no difference,” McCarthy said. “I look at it and say that I honestly believe that knees to the head should be opened up. It would open the fight up and make the fights a little bit more realistic and more exciting at times. Any time you give an offensive tool to a fighter, it opens the fight up.”

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John McCarthy: UFC needs rules analyst for broadcasts, offers his services

“Big” John McCarthy believes his services would be well utilized in an on-air rules analyst role with the UFC.

[autotag]John McCarthy[/autotag] believes the UFC could benefit from adding an on-air rules analyst like other professional sports such as the NBA and NFL.

It’s a role McCarthy is currently executing under the PFL banner, but his future with the promotion is uncertain following the completion of his current contract. McCarthy enjoys it, and the convenience of being able to work from home.

“I gotta be honest, the PFL set me up with a thing at my house, and it was great because if there’s one thing I can’t stand, I hate flying now,” McCarthy told MMA Junkie Radio. “I have flown too many places all over the world, too many times. I hate getting on airplanes and I hate airports.

“So, it was fantastic as far as how easy it was for my life and my lifestyle. I was able to spend a day working on PFL stuff, then do the show, and be away from it. I didn’t have to fly home or any of that, so it was awesome. If it continues on, great. If it doesn’t, no hard feelings, it’s all good.”

McCarthy, who literally helped write the Unified Rules of MMA, knows the book inside and out. He’s one of the most recognizable officials in the history of the sport and transitioned to the commentary desk with Bellator. While he enjoys his role with the PFL, if the opportunity presented itself to bring an on-air rules analyst role to UFC broadcasts, he would do it.

“Oh, absolutely,” McCarthy said. “I don’t know if the UFC would want me, but yeah, I could do it with the UFC. And I’m being honest, I think it’s something the UFC needs. They have too many times that their commentators are unsure about what is going on or what should be done, and that’s not their fault. Their commentators are there to explain the ins and outs of fighting to the fans. To sit there and expect them to know all the rules and what the mechanics of the referee is and what they need – they can’t do that.

“So, they have Din Thomas kind of off to the side as the coach. I do think they need, and I’m not saying it’s me, but they need somebody there to absolutely clear things up for the fans when they are in a situation when the time has been stopped, a foul has occurred, or something like that, and gives the correct information about what’s occuring and where they can go with what has happened.”

John McCarthy isn’t so sure about Colby Covington’s callout of Gilbert Burns

John McCarthy can see that Colby Covington has “gotten worse” as a fighter.

John McCarthy advises [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] against fighting [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag].

Covington (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) lost his second consecutive fight when he suffered a third-round doctor stoppage TKO to Joaquin Buckley in the UFC on ESPN 63 headliner earlier this month at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. McCarthy shuts down the narrative that Covington was rallying before the doctor intervened to stop the fight due to the nasty gash on his eyelid.

“There was a couple things in that fight, watching it,” McCarthy said on his “Weighing-In” podcast. “First off, Colby took an ass whooping. He absolutely showed he’s a tough human being, he’s a tough man, he doesn’t f*cking whine during the fight. He’s going after it, he’s trying, but you know, he was cut in multiple spots.

“He was cut across the brow, he was cut inside the actual start of the eyelid, which is what caused them (doctors) concern. Chael can say what he wants to. He wasn’t coming close to winning that fight. He wasn’t coming back. He was getting the sh*t beat out him. The fight was just going to continue on in the direction it was.”

Covington proceeded to call out Burns (22-8 MMA, 15-8 UFC) after the fight. Although Burns is also on a losing skid, McCarthy thinks it’s a bad matchup for Covington.

“You’ve got to be honest. There was a difference that has happened with Colby in that sometimes guys let their career slide by while they’re doing all the shucking, jiving, talking, and stuff, and it’s great, but you’re not fighting. And he hasn’t gotten better,” McCarthy said. “He has gotten worse. I’m just going to be as honest as I can. He has slowed down. He’s not as fast.

“His entries when he tries for a takedown are not as deep. He doesn’t get where he used to get. All of those things are going to work against him in anybody he fights. And if he fights Gilbert, does he want to take Gilbert down? It’s not an easy position to be. I’m not saying he can’t get away with possibly not getting submitted, but he is definitely putting himself into the crock pot because it’s hot. On the feet, Gilbert has more power, and I think he has more speed.”

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John McCarthy: Michael Chandler ‘on the same path as Tony Ferguson’

John McCarthy does not see things boding well for Michael Chandler moving forward.

[autotag]John McCarthy[/autotag] does not see things boding well for [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] moving forward.

Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) rallied late, but was dominated for the most part in his rematch with Charles Oliveira less than two weeks ago at UFC 309. Chandler has now lost four of his past five, with the lone win in that stretch coming in a knockout over the skidding Tony Ferguson at UFC 274.

In fact, McCarthy thinks Chandler’s career will likely start resembling the one of Ferguson (25-11 MMA, 15-9 UFC), who after winning 12-straight fights, has now lost eight in a row.

“Michael Chandler has hit Tony Ferguson status – just being honest … absolutely,” McCarthy said on his “Weighing-In” podcast. “Who’s he going to beat? He looked slow. You cannot look slow in the lightweight division. You’re going to die, and he got outwrestled by a jiu-jitsu guy.”

Chandler’s performance potentially was impacted by a layoff of more than two years he opted to take waiting for Conor McGregor. After he lost to Oliveira, Chandler called out McGregor, but McCarthy isn’t sure where he goes next.

“Dustin doesn’t want to fight him again because of the same things that he f*cking ended up doing in the Oliveira fight,” McCarthy said. “Now I always sit there and say, ‘If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying,’ but don’t sit there and f*cking tell me that he didn’t hit him to the back of the head.

“I don’t give a f*ck if your fist is going on the other side of his ear, when your forearm is hitting him to the back of the head, it’s the f*cking back of the head. … I’m not saying he’s got seven losses in a row (like Ferguson) – I’m saying he’s on the same path as Tony Ferguson.”

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John McCarthy blasts UFC 307 referee for mishandling prelim: ‘You absolutely just sh*t the bed’

John McCarthy urges referee Dave Seljestad to “stop, quit, retire” after botching the UFC 307 fight between Cesar Almeida and Ihor Potieria.

[autotag]John McCarthy[/autotag] went off on one referee for the way he handled a preliminary fight at UFC 307.

Local referee Dave Seljestad was under fire for the way he officiated the middleweight fight between Cesar Almeida and Ihor Potieria, which kicked off Saturday’s UFC 307 televised prelims in Salt Lake City. Almeida won the bout by unanimous decision.

Seljestad failed to acknowledge numerous eye pokes that Almeida inflicted on Potieria, as well as separating Potieria from an advantageous clinch position just seconds after he grabbed a hold of Almeida. His actions left commentators baffled, and McCarthy, a renowned former referee, thinks Seljestad has no business being in the cage again.

“I’ll tell you what: The referee absolutely destroyed this fight. It was bad,” McCarthy said on his “Weighing In” podcast. “Potieria got eye poked probably five to six times in this thing. I know the referee. He’s been around forever. He’s been reffing in Utah for over 20 years. … Look at when he’s checking the fighters, and he starts doing this big swooping motion over the tape of the glove, and he makes it dramatic. You go, ‘Dude, I don’t know if you realize: This isn’t about you. No one gives a sh*t about you.’ He f*cking broke them off of clinches. Guy gets into a clinch on the fence, 10 seconds and he separates them and takes them apart.

“You look and you go, ‘It’s all about you, isn’t it?’ Congratulations, Dave Seljestad. You made a fight bad. You absolutely just sh*t the bed. It was horrible. You did something completely outside of what the rules for the sport are and what it’s intended for. Why? You let a guy get eye poked. How many times did you tell him, ‘Just fight’? Because you can’t see it? What are you in there for? You’re supposed to see these things. Then you’re looking at the wrong guy. The guy that’s continuously getting fouled, you’re not even looking at. Stop, quit, retire. The sport has passed you by, and you’re not doing your job, so you’re no good for anybody.”

UFC CEO Dana White said he missed the heavily criticized officiating by Seljestad but revealed that UFC senior vice president of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner was not happy with the actions taken during Almeida’s fight with Potieria.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

REPLAY VIDEO: MMA Junkie Radio milestone Episode #3500 with big-name guests galore!

Celebrate MMA Junkie Radio’s 3,500th episode with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” as they welcomed in a plethora of big-name guests.

Thursday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio is like no other!

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” celebrated their 3,500th episode with a special live stream of the show.

A plethora of big-name guests joined the show, including UFC stars of the past and present: [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag], [autotag]Randy Couture[/autotag], Chael Sonnen, [autotag]Rashad Evans[/autotag], [autotag]Gilbert Melendez[/autotag], [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag], [autotag]Johny Hendricks[/autotag], and [autotag]Frank Trigg[/autotag]. Also joining the show were Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick, UFC reporter Megan Olivi, commedian/actor Joey Diaz, the legendary Burt Watson, as well as members of the MMA Junkie staff. Tune in!

You can watch the live stream of episode #3500 in the video above.

Video: Chris Weidman’s return ended with an eye poke – and win. But should it have?

Should Chris Weidman’s win over Bruno Silva have been a DQ or a no contest instead of a win? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

On the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel, along with [autotag]John McCarthy[/autotag] – former referee and current PFL analyst – reacted to [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag]’s controversial return win at UFC on ESPN 54.

Weidman (16-7 MMA, 12-7 UFC) defeated Bruno Silva this past Saturday, but with plenty of controversy. The former UFC middleweight champion eye poked Silva three times before eye poking him a fourth time, which led to the end of the bout.

Despite the repeated fouls, Weidman was awarded a TKO win, which was then overruled to a technical decision win. It was a highly debated result that had many split. So was it the right call?

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McCarthy and MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Danny Segura, Nolan King, host “Gorgeous” George Garcia, discussed Weidman’s win and whether it was the right ruling.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and also don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.