What podcasts say about John McCarthy
Every statement, with the speaker, the exact quote and the moment it was said.
What John McCarthy has said on podcasts
44 statements · 23 positive · 15 negative · 1 mixed · 5 neutral
Head kicks and knees to the head should be banned if MMA bans techniques.
“we should absolutely ban kicks to the head and knees to the head”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 3:54
Grounded knees will never be legalized in MMA.
“I've advocated for knees on the ground for a long time. It's never going to happen.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 5:20
MMA stomps are ineffective against fighters who are not already seriously hurt.
“Name me. The fight that you saw that a stomp was an effective technique when the fighter was not already seriously hurt. Doesn't happen.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 5:42
Fedor’s speed and explosiveness make his punches difficult to see and defend.
“he's fast and I mean, super fat. When he explodes and his hands are down kind of, so it's hard to see when the shots are coming”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 11:40
Fedor established the effective blueprint for defeating Mirko Cro Cop.
“He wrote the blueprint on how to beat CRO Cop.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 13:55
Mirko Cro Cop had the best left kick in MMA history.
“his left kick has to be the best left kick there's ever been ever in the sport of mma”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 16:34
Weight limits based on five-pound rehydration margins could encourage dangerous dehydration.
“the fighter themselves is not keeping themselves dehydrated to make that five pound, and now they're going in even more dehydrated into the fight, which could cause them more problems”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 24:30
Random weight checks could work if implemented by MMA promotions.
“That's why your randoms would work if. If the promotion was doing it.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 24:43
Andrei Arlovski reduced damage by shifting from power punching to volume fighting.
“he changed his style. You know, Arlovsky was a big power puncher for a long time and then was getting hit with big shots and said, you know what, I'm going to be a volume guy. And he was successful with it and didn't take near as much damage.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 34:15
Rico Verhoeven’s close-range fighting created significant problems for Oleksandr Usyk.
“He actually created the problems of closing that distance every time. Look how close he get. He kept on getting into the phone and he would do work, and it was causing Usyk nothing but problems.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 38:00
Rinsing a dropped boxing mouthpiece does not provide a meaningful benefit.
“Which does what for it?”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 42:34
John McCarthy says split decisions are not inherently bad.
“split decision is not always bad”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 52:58
Using five judges instead of three does not improve fight judging.
“No. No, I've worked with it. I've done it too many times. It doesn't change anything.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 53:02
A fighter should not return this quickly after a knockout.
“you can't do this this fast”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 1:03:59
Repeated brain trauma without rest can end a fighter’s career.
“head shots and trauma to the brain, especially when you don't give it the opportunity to rest and heal it, will absolutely take and burn your career.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 1:09:04
John McCarthy regards Jon Jones as the greatest championship fighter.
“Jon Jones is the guy”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 1:13:20
John McCarthy considers Khabib Nurmagomedov the most dominant fighter he encountered.
“The most dominant fighter I ever stepped into that cage with was Habib.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 1:13:22
Khabib’s consistent training lifestyle caused his success.
“He never missed training. He never changed his lifestyle. He did everything the same. Yeah. And that's why he had the results.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 1:15:55
John McCarthy says Yoel Romero is physically unlike every other human.
“He is built differently than every other human being.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 1:28:49
John McCarthy says Andre Smaiev takes 1,000 growth-hormone units daily.
“a thousand units of growth hormone a day”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 1:30:43
A 350-pound athlete can perform one-arm pull-ups.
“That dude does one arm pull ups at £350.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 1:30:59
- on Performance enhancement in fightingNegativeMay 27, 2026· The Joe Rogan Experience: Protect Our Parks
Enhancement in fighting creates additional damage because opponents strike one another.
“It's just there's a difference. You're creating damage in the Sport of fighting 100.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 1:35:58
APOE4 has no apparent effect without repeated head impacts.
“and you're not taking headshots, you're okay. It doesn't do anything.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 1:41:12
MMA removes the decision time available in boxing after a fighter is knocked down.
“MMA takes that time to away because I have a fighter that is now instead of walking towards or you know, trotting towards a neutral corner or something like that, they're trotting towards that person to do more damage to him.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 1:43:30
Trauma can disrupt and restore neural connections in comparable ways.
“There is no difference in being able to hit them and putting them back.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 1:44:37
- on Conor McGregor versus Floyd MayweatherPositiveMay 27, 2026· The Joe Rogan Experience: Protect Our Parks
Conor McGregor won the opening rounds against Floyd Mayweather because Mayweather did not punch.
“Conor won the first couple rounds because Mayweather didn't throw any punches.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 1:46:48
Terence Crawford could compete in MMA because he can wrestle.
“Bud Crawford could go to mma. That dude can wrestle”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 1:47:41
Aaron Pico could become exceptionally good if he relaxes during fights.
“And Pico. Pico could be so good. He just has to relax.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 2:03:03
Aaron Pico has the best body left hook since Paul Daley.
“he's got the best left hook to the body since Paul Daly.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 2:03:35
Using the head as a striking instrument is a foul under MMA rules.
“It hit him in the jaw. Okay. It didn't hit him head to head. And you're not allowed to use your head as a striking instrument. It's a foul.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 2:08:51
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.