McCarthy Accuses California of Blocking Retired Fighter Retirement Fund Bill
"Assembly Bill 2130 in California, that Assembly Bill was no money out of the taxpayers' money, zero taxpayer money. It's about sponsorship. 75% of it went to retired fighters, 25% of it went to training for upcoming and in-service officials. Their whole thing was, well, that would allow the sponsor to say that they're basically part of California."
About this episode
Joe Rogan was joined by former UFC referee Big John McCarthy and retired fighter Josh Thomson for a wide-ranging three-hour conversation covering controversial stoppages, judging incompetence, fighter safety, and political activism. The discussion opened with McCarthy's recent controversial decision to stop the Joe Schilling fight after the 42-year-old kickboxing legend refused to continue following a headbutt foul and miscommunication with referee Mike Beltran. McCarthy explained Schilling chose to return to ground position but quit when frustrated by repositioning before the restart. The trio heavily criticized the upcoming outdoor UFC event at the White House, noting 100-degree temperatures, bugs, and uncontrolled conditions that could endanger already-dehydrated fighters 24 hours after weigh-ins. Rogan revealed he successfully lobbied President Trump via text message to legalize ibogaine treatment for veterans with PTSD, with Trump approving the measure within 24 hours despite White House staff resistance. McCarthy exposed California's rejection of a fully sponsor-funded retirement bill for fighters, blocked on the absurd grounds that sponsors shouldn't claim association with California despite helping California fighters. The conversation covered referee error in the Rico Verhoeven-Usyk fight where outdated mouthpiece protocol gave Verhoeven 30 extra seconds recovery, judging controversies, weight-cutting dangers, Khabib's unprecedented dominance never bleeding in competition, the Fedor training camp producing elite grapplers like Islam Makhachev, Mike Perry's perfect fit for bare-knuckle boxing, and McCarthy's concerns about outdoor fighting conditions. Throughout, the trio emphasized fighter safety, proper officiating, and the corrupting influence of money in combat sports.
Key takeaways
- Rogan successfully lobbied Trump via text to legalize ibogaine for veterans, with approval granted within 24 hours over staff objections.
- McCarthy revealed Joe Schilling quit mid-fight at 42 after referee miscommunication following an intentional headbutt foul against him.
- The UFC White House outdoor fight was condemned for 100-degree heat, bugs, and dangerous uncontrolled conditions for dehydrated fighters.
- California rejected a zero-taxpayer-cost retirement fund for fighters funded entirely by sponsorships on absurd political grounds.
- Rico Verhoeven received 30 extra seconds recovery in the Usyk fight due to referee error using outdated mouthpiece protocols.
- Khabib Nurmagomedov is the only UFC fighter to never visibly bleed during his entire professional MMA career.
- Mike Perry found his perfect sport in bare-knuckle boxing after struggling in MMA, now making sustainable living as a star.