John McCarthy's thoughts during Kimbo/Dada 5000

[Wild]

If you thought "Big" John McCarthy had a look on his face during Friday night's Kimbo Slice-Dada 5000 fight like he couldn't quite believe what he was watching, well, you may have been right.

"I honestly thought it would be over within the first round," said McCarthy, who officiated at Saturday night's WSOF 28 here in Orange County. "And you know, when we got to the end of the first round, I thought, ‘Oh my God, this thing's going to go all three rounds.'"

McCarthy found himself assigned to the Bellator 149 co-feature bout between Slice, the 42-year-old special attraction who had fought just once in the past five years, and Dada, a street fighter with just two pro bouts legally known as Dhafir Harris, at Houston's Toyota Center, he was ready for anything.

Both fighters got visibly tired early after a first-round ground stalemate. But McCarthy was going to call the fight down the middle like any other bout and wasn't about to do the competitors any favors. That led to frequent restarts and standups, including an instance in the second round of a rare standup call with a fighter, Slice, in full mounted position.

"I always tell them, 'I'm going to stand you up unless you do something,'" McCarthy said. "I'm telling Kimbo, ‘Kimbo, do something.' And he's just tired. He's not trying to punch, he's not trying to go for a submission, he's just trying to catch breath and let time go by."

LINK: John McCarthy's thought during Kimbo Slice-Dada 5000: 'Oh my God, this thing's going all three rounds'

 

[ECC170]

in other words he was pissed he had to witness this disaster so close and made them suffer through exhaustion for his troubles..

 

[Punch]

I'd really like to know what his thoughts were during Ken v. Royce.

 

[Pitbull9]

I'd really like to know what his thoughts were during Ken v. Royce.

His thoughts were

Smh

 

[ECC170]

I'd really like to know what his thoughts were during Ken v. Royce.

he's still pissed they didn't let him join ufc 1 cuz he had bjj experience

 

[Ted Williams' head]

So what Big John is saying is that he'd rather be the target of a child pornography sting than to ever have to ref an abomination like that again.

 

[Robbie Hart]

I'd really like to know what his thoughts were during Ken v. Royce.

IMG/GIF - Big John's reaction to Gracie vs Shamrock 3 Result | The MMA Community Forum

 

[Punch]

IMG/GIF - Big John's reaction to Gracie vs Shamrock 3 Result | The MMA Community Forum

Yeah, that's the thread that made me curious.

 

[MMAHAWK]

Asked John last night if that was the worst fight he was ever a part of. He told me Shamrock vs Severn 2 still beats it by a mile.

 

[Sweets]

Cops are dicks it's in the training, if that was Roy Nelson on top resting he wouldn't have opened his mouth.

 

[LurkenLikaGherkin]

It's not the ref's job to influence the outcome of a fight, it's his job to avoid doing so. Above all, that's the reason you don't stand people up out of dominant positions -- they are already inarguably in a position where they're winning a positional battle, even if retarded/unskilled/out0-of-shape.

McCarthy is a cop & refs like one. It's so ingrained in his personality you could never make him understand what's wrong with that.

 

[dacofty]

So what Big John is saying is that he'd rather be the target of a child pornography sting than to ever have to ref an abomination like that again.

damn im not sure anyone wants to be part of a child porn sting....but ok

 

[CRE]

It's not the ref's job to influence the outcome of a fight, it's his job to avoid doing so. Above all, that's the reason you don't stand people up out of dominant positions -- they are already inarguably in a position where they're winning a positional battle, even if retarded/unskilled/out0-of-shape.

McCarthy is a cop & refs like one. It's so ingrained in his personality you could never make him understand what's wrong with that.

Good post.

 

[CRE]

BJM acts like he has fought before.

DADA 5000 would beat the shit out of him and his black belt.

I like BJM too, one of the best in the business, but he does inflict his authoritarian demeanor a little over the top sometimes.

 

[Deleted member 1]

Above all, that's the reason you don't stand people up out of dominant positions -- they are already inarguably in a position where they're winning a positional battle, even if retarded/unskilled/out0-of-shape.

I'd have to go back and see time, inactivity,etc.

But if the guy on mount is just sitting there, hands on mat, chilling...just leave it?

 

[Wild]

Did Kimbo even throw one strike from mount? I dont think he did. That's crazy that he can train at a legit gym, and not know how to posture up enough to at least throw one strike.

 

[dacofty]

BJM acts like he has fought before.

DADA 5000 would beat the shit out of him and his black belt.

I like BJM too, one of the best in the business, but he does inflict his authoritarian demeanor a little over the top sometimes.

i agree Dada was playing potassium i mean possum... he kill BJM

 

[LurkenLikaGherkin]

Yeah, IMO there is no reason for standing up a fight from mount, or back mount, because the guy mounted does not want to be there. Even if no damage is happening, the guy mounted does not want to be there. Then again, I don't think the crowd's pleasure is or should be a consideration at all, in any way, whatsoever, however you may choose to phrase it, plus or minus, mas or menos, as the bird does or does not fly.

 

[LurkenLikaGherkin]

...to put it less abstractly, if the guy in top mount (full mount) only throws 5 strikes in 2 minutes, or even three minutes, that's 5 strikes more than the guy on bottom can throw without throwing them from being mounted (or back mounted, if back mount). Plus, the guy on top presumably had to work to get there. The real bottom lie is simpler. McCarthy doesn't have any problem with his actions (as opposed to inactions) deciding the outcome of a fight. That is wrong, & my guess is that if anybody doesn't like what I'm saying that's probably the main issue.

[Edit to add:] specifically, re mount, or other dominant top positions (less so back mount), a minute of "resting" on top isn't equivalent to "nothing happening." I can tap (some) guys just with top pressure, from bodyweight on organs, etc., in mount/side-control while I'm resting/recovering, safe from any threat of an attack from the bottom; you won't tap someone in a fight with that, but you might break their will. That was specifically a factor in Kimbo/Dada, not just as an argumentative point. Even if Kimbo sits there for a full minute, resting, Dada is likely to be burning more energy, and when the mounted fighter feels ready to attack again (as opposed to resting more), the guy on bottom is MORE tired in most cases than when he was first mounted, and more likely to be finished, hurt, or just damaged.

I'm not just arguing for arguing's sake. It is wrong to stand up anybody from mount, under any circumstances short of total inaction for something like 2 minutes or more (the amount of time is arbitrary). As far as the point about McCarthy, it's just part of a larger overall refereeing malfunction. He is constantly interjecting himself into the consciousness of the fighters where it's unnecessary. They should be worried about what the opponent is going to do. Not what the ref is going to do. BJM's whole mental approach and belief system about reffing is wrong. He is as a human wrong, as far as reffing goes. His personality is the opposite of what a ref's should be. He wants to be in the way, wants to be THE way; that's the opposite of the personality type a ref should have.