FRIDAY NEWS DIGEST: Big John McCarthy says weight cutting worse than PEDs, McGregor-Mayweather stalled, Bader on Bellator benefit (w/Henry’s Analysis)

Big John McCarthy says weight cutting is more dangerous than PEDS

Lots of focus has been put on PED usage in MMA recently, and a lot has been done to combat what was seemingly an epidemic. But according referee Big John McCarthy, the larger threat remains largely unchallenged. Weight cutting is something that 99 percent of fighters have to deal with. It’s such an ingrained part of the sport that perhaps the horribly negative effects that it can have on the body are overlooked by the same people who scrutinize other dangerous aspects of MMA. The UFC has been lucky in the sense that nothing catastrophic has happened in terms of weight cutting, but it seems as if they are waiting for such an event to really address the situation.

Andy Foster, the head of the California State Athletic Commission has come up with a 10-point plan that he believes would address the problem. Whether it works remains to be seen, but it seems clear that something should be done about weight cutting in the sport.

Henry’s Analysis: Weight cutting has been an issue for a while, and it is crazy to hear the amount of weight that some of these guys are cutting. Scary situations have come up before, such as with Renan Barao, but major tragedy has been avoided in the UFC. The same cannot be said for amateur wrestling, or for other MMA promotions so something should be done before it’s too late.

Justin Gaethje signs with UFC?

Following the news of World Series of Fighting’s rebranding, it appears more change is in the works for the company. They will soon be looking to crown a new Lightweight Champion. From the beginning, Justin Gaethje has dominated the division, winning all ten of his fights, picking up nine knockouts along the way. He has been one of the best fighters outside of the UFC for a few years now and it appears that he may finally have a chance to prove that he is one of the best, period. Rumors have surfaced that he will be signing a contract with the UFC soon. If so, fans will finally see what “The Highlight” is capable of.

Showtime execs say that McGregor-Mayweather is at a standstill

An executive for Showtime has stated that negotiations for a potential Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor boxing match have largely come to a standstill. He claims that the UFC is largely to blame. The executive stated that he thinks if things don’t get rolling, people will move on and the fight will fall through. He also questioned how badly Dana White actually wants the fight to happen, considering that McGregor very well may retire if he gets the massive pay day that is expected to come with this fight.

FRIDAY NOTEBOOK

-New Bellator signee Ryan Bader has stated that he expects to make three or four times more in sponsorship dollars than he was making in the UFC under the Reebok deal.

-Bellator announced the signings of 6 Women’s Flyweight fighters: Valerie Letourneau, Alejandra Lara, Sabriye Sengul, Kristi Lopez, Na Liang, and Julian Velasquez.

NOW CHECK OUT YESTERDAY’S UPDATE: THURSDAY NEWS DIGEST 4/27: Thursday Night Fights, anyone? Twitter considering it (w/Hiscoe’s Analysis)