The nickname of 'Big John' came about because of his size and stature. He stands 6'3" and weighs 260 lb; making him larger than the majority of the athletes over whom he presides. 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.
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 created by boxing referee Mills Lane. 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 as he was the key figure in the writing of the current Unified Rules for the sport of MMA, which is now recognized by the ABC and Athletic Commissions across North America. His 535th bout was the main event at 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, K-1, Strikeforce, Affliction, Bellator, King of the Cage and a multitude of others. 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" 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, 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. On December 12, 2015, McCarthy served as the referee for UFC 194 between Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo, which became the shortest title bout in UFC history. In 2018, McCarthy retired for the second time, and moved to Bellator as a commentator.
Awards
World MMA Awards
*Referee of the Year
*
Personal life
In September 2006, John McCarthy opened his first MMA school in Valencia, California. This gym was one of the largest MMA schools in California. McCarthy sold the school in December 2015. In January 2007, he was awarded his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. In early 2008, McCarthy started a referee and judging course for MMA officials called COMMAND. McCarthy has three children: sons, John Michael Jr. and Ronald II ; daughter, Britney. Ron has been an MMA judge since 2013.
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 the Fight Science episode Super Cops on national Geographic. McCarthy also appeared in the TV seriesFriends, 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 served as the referee on the MTV2 series Bully Beatdown, along with professional mixed martial artistJason "Mayhem" Miller. McCarthy is featured in the award-winning mixed martial arts documentary Fight Life, the film is directed by James Z. Feng and released in 2013. He's also made a cameo as himself in the mixed martial arts movie .
