John McCarthy (referee)
Encyclopedia
John Michael McCarthy, (born October 12, 1962 in Los Angeles, CA) the 'Octagon's ninth side', is the first head referee
for the Ultimate Fighting Championship
, a retired Los Angeles Police Officer, and a Tactical Self-Defense Instructor at the Los Angeles Police Academy. He formerly provided commentary and analysis for The Fight Network
's coverage of UFC events. He also provided commentary for Affliction: Banned
, the first MMA event co-produced by Affliction Clothing
and Adrenaline MMA
. He has served as head referee for hundreds of bouts in major MMA promotions dating back to 1993. He is also the founder of C.O.M.M.A.N.D., the training and certification school for MMA referees and judges.
(LAPD)...following his father Ronald, who worked as a police officer for thirty years. (John's son, Ronald II, is also a police officer.) In August 1993, McCarthy was awarded his Tactics & Self-Defense Instructor Certification by the LAPD, and taught for the department until his retirement in 2007.
The nickname of 'Big John' came about because of his stature. He stands 6'4" and weighs 240 lb
; making him larger than the majority of the athletes he presides over. According to a UFC interview, the nickname was given to him by UFC co-founder and promoter Art Davie
. McCarthy recalls that the nickname began when he forcibly lifted Davie off the ground and held him in the air. John McCarthy is of Irish descent.
and now a shared trademark by both. McCarthy served as one of the head referees for nearly every fight in the UFC from UFC 2
until UFC 77
, and was considered as much a part of the UFC as the octagonal arena
itself. His 535th bout was the main event at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra
finale in Las Vegas, Roger Huerta vs. Clay Guida. McCarthy briefly retired after this bout to pursue a career as a commentator for The Fight Network but returned to officiating just a year later. Since his return, McCarthy has refereed for promotions all over the globe including the UFC and Strikeforce.
His connection to the UFC was attributed to his relationship with the Gracie family
, particularly Rorion Gracie
. McCarthy had been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Rorion at the Gracie Academy in Torrance, CA in the early 1990s, and was designated a certified "GRAPLE" (Gracie Resisting Attack Procedures for Law Enforcement) instructor by the Gracie Academy in December 1993.
When Rorion Gracie was putting together his new fighting promotion in 1993, McCarthy expressed interest in fighting for the UFC, but Gracie advised against it; however, due to his experience in law enforcement, McCarthy was seen as a fitting man to referee. He debuted at UFC 2
: No Way Out in 1994.
The early days of UFC did not contain many rules; McCarthy's role was only to supervise the fight and to ensure that it ended promptly when a competitor either submitted
(also known as tap out), was knocked out, or had his towel thrown in. Although first disfavored by UFC executives, after UFC 2 McCarthy insisted on referee stoppages when a fighter cannot intelligently defend himself
.
On December 31, 2004, McCarthy served as the referee for a fight held on the K-1 Dynamite! card
at the Osaka Dome
in Osaka
, Japan
between MMA legend Royce Gracie
and Sumo legend-turned-fighter Akebono Taro
.
, boxing
, wrestling
, judo
and MMA
. In January 2007, he was awarded his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Currently, McCarthy lives in Los Angeles
with his wife Elaine and their three children: Ronald II (named after his grandfather), Britney and John Michael Junior (AKA "Little John").
In early 2008, McCarthy started a referee and judging course for MMA officials called COMMAND (Certification of Officials for Mixed Martial Arts National Development).
On September 01, 2011, McCarthy's autobiography titled "Let's Get It On - The Making of MMA and its Ultimate Referee" was released.
McCarthy appeared with retired MMA fighter Bas Rutten in New Found Glory's video "Listen To Your Friends", where he refs MMA fights between the band members. The music video, which was shot on November 5, 2008 in Los Angeles, California, premiered on March 9, 2009. He has also appeared on Fight Science "super cops" on national geographic.
McCarthy also appeared in the TV series "Friends", season 3 episode 24 "The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion" where he plays the referee of a UFC match between Tank Abbott
and Jon Favreau
.
McCarthy also serves as the referee on the MTV2 series Bully Beatdown
, along with professional mixed martial artist Jason "Mayhem" Miller.
Referee
A referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport...
for the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
, a retired Los Angeles Police Officer, and a Tactical Self-Defense Instructor at the Los Angeles Police Academy. He formerly provided commentary and analysis for The Fight Network
The Fight Network
Fight Network is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel devoted to airing programming related to wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and other combatant styles...
's coverage of UFC events. He also provided commentary for Affliction: Banned
Affliction: Banned
Affliction: Banned was a mixed martial arts event co-promoted by Affliction Clothing and Adrenaline MMA. It took place on July 19, 2008 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California...
, the first MMA event co-produced by Affliction Clothing
Affliction Clothing
Affliction Clothing is an American clothing manufacturer based in Seal Beach, California. It is owned by Affliction Inc., which ran a mixed martial arts promotion, Affliction Entertainment.- History :Affliction was launched in August 2005...
and Adrenaline MMA
Adrenaline MMA
Adrenaline MMA is a mixed martial arts organization operating primarily in North America. It was formerly part of M-1 Global but became independent on October 2007 with Monte Cox as its head.-Foundation:...
. He has served as head referee for hundreds of bouts in major MMA promotions dating back to 1993. He is also the founder of C.O.M.M.A.N.D., the training and certification school for MMA referees and judges.
Biography
In 1985, McCarthy became a police officer for the Los Angeles Police DepartmentLos Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
(LAPD)...following his father Ronald, who worked as a police officer for thirty years. (John's son, Ronald II, is also a police officer.) In August 1993, McCarthy was awarded his Tactics & Self-Defense Instructor Certification by the LAPD, and taught for the department until his retirement in 2007.
The nickname of 'Big John' came about because of his stature. He stands 6'4" and weighs 240 lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
; making him larger than the majority of the athletes he presides over. According to a UFC interview, the nickname was given to him by UFC co-founder and promoter Art Davie
Art Davie
Art Davie is a business executive and entrepreneur formerly active in Southern California advertising circles. In 1993, he created and co-produced the tournament which became the televised Ultimate Fighting Championship. In 1998, Davie, as vice-president of K-1 USA, brought the successful K-1...
. McCarthy recalls that the nickname began when he forcibly lifted Davie off the ground and held him in the air. John McCarthy is of Irish descent.
UFC
McCarthy was the most senior referee in the UFC and is well-known for his delivery of "Let's Get It On!", a catchphrase started by boxing referee Mills LaneMills Lane
Mills Bee Lane III is a retired boxing referee, a former boxer, was a two term Washoe County District Court Judge, and television personality...
and now a shared trademark by both. McCarthy served as one of the head referees for nearly every fight in the UFC from UFC 2
UFC 2
UFC 2: No Way Out was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 11, 1994, at Mammoth Gardens in Denver, Colorado...
until UFC 77
UFC 77
UFC 77: Hostile Territory was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship . The event took place on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio...
, and was considered as much a part of the UFC as the octagonal arena
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
itself. His 535th bout was the main event at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra
The Ultimate Fighter 6: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra is the sixth season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter, and premiered on September 19, 2007 on Spike TV, after UFC Fight Night 11. This season features only welterweight fighters...
finale in Las Vegas, Roger Huerta vs. Clay Guida. McCarthy briefly retired after this bout to pursue a career as a commentator for The Fight Network but returned to officiating just a year later. Since his return, McCarthy has refereed for promotions all over the globe including the UFC and Strikeforce.
His connection to the UFC was attributed to his relationship with the Gracie family
Gracie family
The Gracie family is a prominent sporting family from Brazil known for their founding of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu . They have been successful in combat sport competitions including mixed martial arts, vale tudo and submission wrestling events...
, particularly Rorion Gracie
Rorion Gracie
Rorion Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and instructor, a prominent member of the Gracie family, and a founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the oldest son of Hélio Gracie and one of the few people in the world to hold a 9th degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,...
. McCarthy had been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Rorion at the Gracie Academy in Torrance, CA in the early 1990s, and was designated a certified "GRAPLE" (Gracie Resisting Attack Procedures for Law Enforcement) instructor by the Gracie Academy in December 1993.
When Rorion Gracie was putting together his new fighting promotion in 1993, McCarthy expressed interest in fighting for the UFC, but Gracie advised against it; however, due to his experience in law enforcement, McCarthy was seen as a fitting man to referee. He debuted at UFC 2
UFC 2
UFC 2: No Way Out was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 11, 1994, at Mammoth Gardens in Denver, Colorado...
: No Way Out in 1994.
The early days of UFC did not contain many rules; McCarthy's role was only to supervise the fight and to ensure that it ended promptly when a competitor either submitted
Submission (combat sport term)
A submission is a combat sports term for yielding to the opponent, and hence resulting in an immediate defeat...
(also known as tap out), was knocked out, or had his towel thrown in. Although first disfavored by UFC executives, after UFC 2 McCarthy insisted on referee stoppages when a fighter cannot intelligently defend himself
Mixed martial arts rules
Most rule sets for mixed martial arts competitions have evolved since the early days of vale tudo. As the knowledge about fighting techniques spread among fighters and spectators, it became clear that the original minimalist rule systems needed to be amended...
.
On December 31, 2004, McCarthy served as the referee for a fight held on the K-1 Dynamite! card
K-1 PREMIUM 2004 Dynamite!!
K-1 PREMIUM 2004 Dynamite!! was an annual kickboxing and mixed martial arts event held by K-1 on New Year's Eve, Friday, December 31, 2004 at the Osaka Dome in Osaka, Japan...
at the Osaka Dome
Osaka Dome
Osaka Dome is a baseball stadium located in Osaka, Japan. Beginning in 1997, the stadium was the home field of the Kintetsu Buffaloes. In 2005, the stadium became one of the homes of the Orix Buffaloes, a result of the merger between the Orix Blue Wave and Kintetsu Buffaloes. Prior to the Osaka...
in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
between MMA legend Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, a UFC Hall of Famer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A legend and pioneer in the sport of mixed martial arts, he is widely considered to be the most influential figure in the history of modern MMA.Gracie gained fame for his...
and Sumo legend-turned-fighter Akebono Taro
Akebono Taro
is a retired American born-Japanese sumo wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining the professional sport in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian sumo wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, reaching the top division in 1990...
.
Personal life
In September 2006, John McCarthy opened his first MMA school in Valencia, CA. This 29000 square feet (2,694.2 m²) gym is one of the largest MMA schools in California. His dozen or so instructors teach Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, kickboxingKickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
, boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
, judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
and MMA
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
. In January 2007, he was awarded his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Currently, McCarthy lives in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with his wife Elaine and their three children: Ronald II (named after his grandfather), Britney and John Michael Junior (AKA "Little John").
In early 2008, McCarthy started a referee and judging course for MMA officials called COMMAND (Certification of Officials for Mixed Martial Arts National Development).
On September 01, 2011, McCarthy's autobiography titled "Let's Get It On - The Making of MMA and its Ultimate Referee" was released.
McCarthy appeared with retired MMA fighter Bas Rutten in New Found Glory's video "Listen To Your Friends", where he refs MMA fights between the band members. The music video, which was shot on November 5, 2008 in Los Angeles, California, premiered on March 9, 2009. He has also appeared on Fight Science "super cops" on national geographic.
McCarthy also appeared in the TV series "Friends", season 3 episode 24 "The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion" where he plays the referee of a UFC match between Tank Abbott
Tank Abbott
David Lee Abbott is an American mixed martial arts fighter and former professional wrestler. He has described his fighting style, which he developed brawling in the bars and streets of Huntington Beach, California, as "street fighting"...
and Jon Favreau
Jon Favreau
Jonathan Kolia "Jon" Favreau is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and comedian. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in Rudy, Swingers , Very Bad Things, and The Break-Up. His notable directorial efforts include Elf, Iron Man and its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens...
.
McCarthy also serves as the referee on the MTV2 series Bully Beatdown
Bully Beatdown
Bully Beatdown is an American reality television series created by Mark Burnett which airs on MTV. In each episode, show host Jason "Mayhem" Miller challenges bullies to fight against a professional mixed martial artist for a chance to win $10,000. The money they get depends on their performance...
, along with professional mixed martial artist Jason "Mayhem" Miller.
See also
- Ultimate Fighting ChampionshipUltimate Fighting ChampionshipThe Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
- StrikeforceStrikeforceStrikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...
- Combat sports
- Vale TudoVale tudoVale tudo are full-contact unarmed combat events, with a limited number of rules, that became popular in Brazil during the 20th century. Vale tudo has been considered a combat sport by some observers...