"Everyone in there thinks you're a douchebag!" - 'Big' John McCarthy reacts to hilarious video of man shadowboxing against gym equipment

Former MMA referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy has weighed in on a hilarious video of a man shadowboxing against gym equipment. In a video posted to the Weighing In Xtra YouTube channel, podcast hosts McCarthy and Josh Thomson reacted to the viral video.

Both McCarthy and Thomson seemingly disapproved of the man engaging in shadowboxing at the gym. They suggested that the gym wasn’t combat sports-centric and instead featured equipment meant for cardio and weight training.

Advising people to refrain from engaging in such acts at a gym that’s not meant for combat training, McCarthy stated:

“Look, for everyone out there, I just want to tell you. If you are working out, that’s awesome; so proud of you, keep doing it. If you’re in a weight gym, just, you know, hey – cardio, weights; do it. Do not start shadowboxing and acting like you can fight when you’re in that gym. Everyone in there thinks you’re a douchebag... You want to punch stuff? Go to an actual fighting gym.”

Watch McCarthy discuss the topic at 7:55 in the video below:

---

John McCarthy on the changes in Conor McGregor’s training methods

John McCarthy is widely regarded as an MMA pioneer. He helped formulate several essential MMA rules during the early days of the UFC back in the 1990s. Needless to say, the retired MMA referee — who currently works as an MMA analyst and commentator for Bellator — knows a thing or two about combat sports training.

One of the most hot-button topics over the past few years has been the noticeable decline in UFC megastar Conor McGregor’s performances. McGregor suffered back-to-back losses against Dustin Poirier in 2021 and is on an injury hiatus that will reportedly last until in February/March 2023.

In an edition of the Weighing In podcast late last year, John McCarthy brought up what many believe is a key factor in Conor McGregor’s decline. Referencing the losses to Poirier, McCarthy emphasized that McGregor still trains — just not like he used to.

Furthermore, John McCarthy explained that in order to make a successful comeback, Conor McGregor needs to rediscover his old self and train like he did to in his prime. McCarthy said:

"We spoke to Conor McGregor's manager, Audie Attar, and we talked to him about [Conor McGregor]. We said, 'Man he got to get back to who he was, not what he's doing now.' All the workouts now and being on the bike, all that's great. I'm not saying he's not working out, it's not the same."

Watch the podcast episode below: