Big John McCarthy Reveals Why He Doesn’t Officiate UFC Events Anymore

The great John McCarthy is known as the Godfather of MMA, calling the fights in the first UFC 2. The veteran referee is also one of the most knowledgeable rules of MMA, as he wrote the original rules for the UFC and later helped to bring back the rules of Unity MMA in 2000 which are still in use today.

While McCarthy is well known for his bulk and his iconic “Get it!” catchphrase to start fights, he is also honored in the MMA community for his role in shaping the UFC rules. “Big John” is often consulted on controversial refereeing decisions and was recently asked for his opinion on UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Nolan’s services.

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In the fight between Tom Nolan and Renato Moicano, veteran referee Dan Miragliotta made a widely controversial decision to let the fighters stand when Moicano reduced control to Nolan. This strategy was frowned upon by many, because the position is typically not supported by the ref, which is a very good position for a beginner to recall.

While on Ariel Helwani’s podcast, McCarthy shared his opinion on the cause of the faith not being warranted, but also why he believes Miragliotta made the decision. He eloquently broke down his interpretation of the rules and how they were applied, leading Helwani to question why McCarthy was no longer in charge of the UFC.

Veteran official John McCarthy reveals his reason for not working for the UFC

Conversely, McCarthy has not worked with the UFC since 2017. When asked about his absence, he explained his absence, saying: “Because I worked for Warrior. Dana White is absolutely p-ed, and he said, ‘I don’t want him. And I don’t need him.'”

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Helwani followed up by asking if the decision would ultimately come down to the Athletic Commission, which McCarthy shut down, replying, “No. You can sit there and say. When the UFC goes and says they don’t want somebody, they’re like, ‘Okay.’

McCarthy seems to indicate that the UFC has the terms in which officials use it. With so many controversial judicial decisions in recent memory, the idea that more progress is being made in the office of the office than it can be is a little scary, a sentiment shared by Helwani when he followed up by asking how the police are choosing to work.