'Big' John McCarthy and Josh Thomson bash Dana White's Power Slap and their athlete pay
Former MMA referee John McCarthy and retired UFC fighter Josh Thomson both reacted to Dana White's Power Slap league and their athlete pay, which has been a controversial piece of news recently.
During episode #329 of their podcast, Weighing In, John McCarthy and Josh Thomson ranted about the safety of UFC President Dana White's Power Slap League. They specifically spoke on the athletes, the minimal payout, and the contracts they receive while taking the highest amount of risks. Thomson stated:
"The UFC is following the pattern they said, they started, when they started the UFC. Same owners, same thing, this contract is exactly the same. Two and two is what these fighters... is what these slappers are making."
He further talked more about the risks involved, and he mentioned:
" Without being able to defend your face. Without being able to defend your chin and you have a stick behind your back, you have to hold. And then the people that are catching them as they fall, they're not even doing a very good job"
The former UFC referee, who is now a podcast presenter, then slammed Slap League's viewership. "Big John" called the league "stupid" and ended up comparing it to The Ultimate Fighter.
McCarthy added:
"I'm gonna say it the way I view it. And it look I think it's stupid first off. I think this a fad. If you take a look at the numbers that were uh... on TBS following an AEW becasue what Dana White ended up doing with this you know... he did the same thing that The Ultimate Fighter follower RAW professional wrestling, because it brings a lot of numbers."
Furthermore, 'The Punk' and McCarthy chastised the league's regulations and the involvement of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Why is Dana White's Power Slap League receiving so much media attention?
Ever since Dana White launched the Power Slap Fighting League, it has made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
UFC veteran middleweight Eric Spicely recently took to Twitter to disclose details about the extremely low wages offered by the Power Slap League.
Take a look at his tweet below:
UFC veteran Eric Spicely said he was contacted to see if he’d like to participate in the Power Slap League. Not sure what the full pay scale is, but this nugget caught my attention: https://t.co/Qlej95KmJs
However, another major issue expressed by the people involved in the combat sports business is the safety of the athletes. Slap fighting poses a risk since it includes repeated concussive strikes to the head at full strength, with rules barring players from protecting themselves.