Access denied: NSAC rejects application for officiating license from 'Big' John McCarthy
by Jesse Holland on Sep 22, 2009 11:23 AM EDT
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Mixed martial arts referee 'Big' John McCarthy failed to obtain his license to resume officiating in the state of Nevada after his Sept. 10 application was chewed up and spit out by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), according to Sherdog.com.
McCarthy — perhaps the most recognized and respected referee in the history of the sport — retired from his in-ring duties following his 535th bout (the main event between Roger Huerta and Clay Guida) at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 6 Finale in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 8, 2007.
"Big" John hung up the medical gloves to pursue a new career as an on-air personality and strategic adviser for The Fight Network, as well as a color commentator for the Affliction: "Banned" event in July 2008.
During his absence, the famed referee made comments in support of then-exiled star Randy Couture, as well as some criticism regarding the direction of UFC pay-per-views and its current officiating.
While the critique was small potatoes, it didn't sit well with UFC President Dana White or Keith Kizer, Executive Director of the NSAC. Both sides remained diplomatic, but McCarthy never reapplied for his license to officiate in Nevada, even after his return to the sport at Strikeforce: "Destruction" in November 2008.
Until now.
Naturally, Kizer insists that McCarthy was not approved due to limited space and a large pool of applicants -- not personal ill will, and that his application is not denied -- just in limbo with the dozens of other applicants who will never see the inside of a Nevada cage.
Like the many fighters he's overseen throughout his career, McCarthy was gracious in defeat:
"A license to referee or judge with an athletic commission -- it’s not a right, it’s a privilege. Everyone kept bringing up the fact that I wasn’t licensed in Nevada, so I said, ‘Alright, I’ll apply.’ I have no problems with anybody in Nevada. When you do your job right as a referee, there’s not gonna be a lot of people saying things. The sport is growing; the officiating is having to grow with it. The whole reason I’m [back] reffing is because it’s what I love to do, and I’m going to enjoy doing what I’m doing."
Internet activists have started a Twitter campaign to persuade the powers that be to enlist the services of McCarthy for UFC 104: Shogun vs. Machida, which is held in his home state of California (and where he is currently licensed).
Will we ever see "Big" John back in the UFC? Well, compared to how easily we got Tito Ortiz back inside the Octagon, McCarthy's homecoming could almost be considered a foregone conclusion.
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And now nevada gets on my scumbag commission list. This is so disgustingly obvious that ufc and kizer are being lil crybaby b!tches. I guess New Jersey is the only true safe haven for MMA. I wonder if fightlinker is gonna come up with a different campaign now and if all hardcores are gonna call out kizer.
by NameNotRequired on Sep 22, 2009 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
What is plainly obvious is that, like many things in Nevada, the AC is corrupt and under the influence of certain parties.
The UFC owns Las Vegas. Las Vegas runs Nevada.
by Wags on Sep 22, 2009 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions
This is just stupid. There’s nobody better than Big John.
by DSmith on Sep 22, 2009 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions
To further that point, if it is true, it would mean certain fighters could potentially not be tested for illegal substances at the behest of the UFC and some could be targeted…………It is a shame if true and incredibly illegal.
by ItCalledMMAnotUFC on Sep 22, 2009 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions
what does Keith Kizer have to with Big John critizizing the UFC? If Dana’s “boys” tests positive for roids it will probably never come out…
by RoBerto on Sep 22, 2009 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions
His application wasn’t rejected mmamania. And if you are going to reference the sherdog article, then at least get it right.
__
He applied for a license and they turned him down. What exactly would you call it?
-JH
by chris on Sep 22, 2009 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions
The UFC owns LAS VEGAS?? I think the Casinos, the Mob, and Wayne Newton would disagree with you, Wags.
by EvanTanner4ever on Sep 22, 2009 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Bullshit, shame on D. White siding with the NSAC on this one… acting like little’ B*tches! U got the best fighters,,,, NSAC has shitty refs’.. why not push to get the BEST REF EVER back???
by DAVE A on Sep 23, 2009 12:00 AM EDT up reply actions
lol @ all of you UFC Haters.
Take of your tin foil hats and learn to respect the UFC.
The only MMA show worth watching LIVE. ;)
by natas on Sep 22, 2009 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions
All I know is that if I was a fighter, I’d want someone like Big John out there. I suspect he’ll get that license sooner rather than later.
by Greggo on Sep 22, 2009 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions
this is ridiculous. Dana slams officals and officating all the time and then when one of the best to ever be a ref makes comments that could probably improve that area, he gets black balled for it. Kizer is a b*tch who is in the ufc’s back pocket. i hope big john helps strikeforce do whatever they can to become a legit threat and a big time promotion.
by bobby o'shea on Sep 22, 2009 11:28 AM EDT reply actions
I think having incompetent refs makes fights more interesting. You never know when Il Moustache will award a TKO victory for repeated eye pokes or when Dan Mirgliotta will ignore 60+ consecutive elbows to the head in round 1 but stop the fight for two punches in round 3. With Big John, it’s usually just a matter of the better fighter winning, but what’s the fun in that?
by PW on Sep 22, 2009 11:33 AM EDT reply actions
stinky, responded to you in diego thread.
PW-
Best use of sarcasm on this site in a looong time.
by OJR on Sep 22, 2009 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions
Dont forget Yves Lavigne! That time when he let Pete Sell nearly die vs Matt Brown was classic! Personally, I thought it was an early stoppage…
by Synyster on Sep 22, 2009 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions
nahh him and Mazzigatti are tied for that position.
by kitsunex on Sep 22, 2009 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Dan is not the worst, Rick Fike Columbus OH 2009 nuff said.
by MMA Junkie on Sep 23, 2009 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions
I always wonder why he was back reffing on smaller shows and not the UFC. Seemed weird…
With dopes Miragliotta (sp?), yes I agree…bring Big John back!!!
by The Terminator on Sep 22, 2009 11:35 AM EDT reply actions
I hear the best angle to see if someone is punching an opponent in the back of the head is to stand directly behind the guy punching. I mean surely his back will tell you whether he is breaking the rules.
by Jimbob on Sep 22, 2009 11:43 AM EDT reply actions
He is a great ref…but why does he leave and have to talk crap about the UFC ?? Thats just immature. This is going to be a ‘battle’ between Dana and Big J ..And then they will kiss and make up and make it public and have some video with Dana dropping f bombs every two seconds ..past example: Tito, Kimbo, Affliction guys, Chuck retiring…
GETTING OLD
by robbyc on Sep 22, 2009 11:46 AM EDT reply actions
BJ can say whatever he fucking wants…..he is and was the ufc before dana stuck his bald head in it
by AREYOUJELLIN on Sep 22, 2009 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
FUCK THE crooked ass Nevada athletic comission, someone smack Dana white in the bald head and say….“Dana, John reffed UFC 1, he was part of the UFC before you even had your billionaire boyfriends buy it for you and give you a job, AND hes the best referee in the game and possibly ever.” maybe he can call up his sugardaddy’s and they can pay someone to get big john back in there….
and there is no better line then LETS GET IT ON
by AREYOUJELLIN on Sep 22, 2009 11:47 AM EDT reply actions
You do realize that the refs are employed by the states and not by the UFC, meaning Dana has no say in whether or not Big John gets licensed again, right?
by PW on Sep 22, 2009 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions
you don’t beleave that do you? the part where dana has no influence.
by roy on Sep 22, 2009 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions
With Big John taking the high road, it may well be the first step on his journey back. I’m sure we will one day hear the familiar “Let’s get it on!” again inside the octagon.
by Fred on Sep 22, 2009 11:57 AM EDT reply actions
This makes the NSAC look a bit shady to be honest. McCarthy is up there IMO with Herb Dean as the 2 best referees around.
by Neil on Sep 22, 2009 11:58 AM EDT reply actions
I personally dont care for herb dean to much he over enforces the rules dont get me wrong he does a great job and I wouldnt mind seeing him do any main event
I think mcarthy and yamasaki are the 2 best right now and then 3rd and 4th would be lavine and that white bald guy who has been spot on so far
by dia mette on Sep 22, 2009 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Pretty sickening how good refs like John doesnt get to ref while pure fucking idiots like Miragliotta gets to..
by Lester The Pimp on Sep 22, 2009 12:00 PM EDT reply actions
Anyone going to start a Facebook group to bring back John???
Dana maybe abit upset, but all the fans love John!
by Razorstorm on Sep 22, 2009 12:00 PM EDT reply actions
are anyone of you really shocked by the fact that the NSAC is as crooked as they come ? I mean this “commission” is mob infiltrated to its core, and some people wonder why they make decisions like this.
by Fresh on Sep 22, 2009 12:12 PM EDT reply actions
Teach him to bite the hand that feeds him. Douche.
by mikehunt on Sep 22, 2009 12:13 PM EDT reply actions
If you think Dana’s word carries no weight with Keith Kizer, you’re dreaming.
by Dissenter on Sep 22, 2009 12:15 PM EDT reply actions
Why not comment up there where the dude might see it?
by jay on Sep 22, 2009 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions
John is making all kinds of money reffing in Bully Beatdown. He doesn’t need Nevada or the UFC. HA!
by VNDK8 on Sep 22, 2009 12:15 PM EDT reply actions
fuck him, he ended too many fights early. I think Mario is a better ref any day
by kibbled_bits on Sep 22, 2009 12:23 PM EDT reply actions
I said Mario (who’s good in his own right) but I meant Herb Dean. I think Herb is the best cuz he doesn’t let his ego get in the way like Big Mouth John McCarthy
by kibbled_bits on Sep 22, 2009 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions
get rid of Mazagatti and/or miragliotta, and bring big john in. no point keeping refs that constantly have bad calls. mazagatti standing lesnar up while he was working for a better position to hammer fist mir to hell in their first fight, for what? there wasn’t a reason to stop them and stand them up. lesnar had a dominant position. miragliotta is so slow, he doesnt move into a good position to watch for illegals like with crocop poking the eye of turk. dude stands there like an idiot. theres a few others like Lavigne and Kevin Mulhall that make bad calls. Lavigne during that fight with pete sell and matt brown, is he stopping it or not? dude jumps in the middle of them while matt brown is throwing punches to pete’s face, breaks it up, then tells them to fight… wtf. That killed brown’s momentum and gave pete a chance to recover, pete still got beat but still. john isn’t perfect but he’s better than these guys.
by jaime on Sep 22, 2009 12:28 PM EDT reply actions
I never thought Big John was all that great. I’ve seen him make some pretty bad calls and let some guys take some really unneccesary punishment while he was busy yelling at people outside the cage to get off the apron. But compared to these one-eyed inebriated schmucks they’ve got now, I’ll take Big John and Herb back any day of the week!
by shonuff on Sep 22, 2009 12:32 PM EDT reply actions
Kieth and Dana sure have alot of pull in Vegas
by manalito on Sep 22, 2009 12:50 PM EDT reply actions
Big John is the best ref in the business hands down. If there are any petitions out there link me up. In the midst of all these bad decisions we need someone like John back in the UFC.
We ALL know this is politics and Dana runs Las Vegas and thats the only reason why the best ref in MMA has his application “in limbo”. You know that if Dana and Big John were on good terms he’d be reffing 104 no problem.
Dana’s been eating a lot of crow lately though, signing Tito back, Kimbo’s on TUF… I think its reasonable to believe Big John will be back in the “Big Show” by year’s end.
by ironfist_55 on Sep 22, 2009 12:56 PM EDT reply actions
Once again we see what a dick Danadouche is to anyone the he perceives as having crossed him. Seriously, I think Dana and Keith are making up for a small penis or something.
by SilasM on Sep 22, 2009 1:39 PM EDT reply actions
With no second thought or hesitation whatsoever, John is the best!
by Dana's a CrossDresser on Sep 22, 2009 2:11 PM EDT reply actions
Whatever! I’ll tell you who is indispensible. JOE ROGAN! He’s a big part of the reason UFC shows were more exciting than PRIDE or other competitors. He adds so much energy and enthusiasm that he can quickly get you interested in a fight between two guys you never heard of. Plus he’s done more to educate audiences on the nuances of the sport than all the other MMA commentators combined. ROGAN is the true “veteran voice of the octogon”.
by shonuff on Sep 22, 2009 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions
YUR TRIPPIN SHONUF! ROGAN DONT GOT A DAM THING ON BAS RUTTEN!!& the ufc shows now r better then pride cuz theres no more pride & the pride fighters r in the ufc now
by d*locc on Sep 22, 2009 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Bas Rutten was too busy talking about himself to even notice what was happening in the ring! And his predictions were almost always wrong.
Bas: He’ll never get an armbar on that guy, not even to save his own life!
2 seconds later
BAS: Whoa what an armbar! What did I tell you! He never misses that! Just like me, when I was……etc etc.
by shonuff on Sep 22, 2009 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Where’s Herb Dean? He made some mistakes too, but I thought he was a little better than McCarthy. Don’t remember seeing him in the octogon for a while, but seems like I’ve seen him in other shows.
by shonuff on Sep 22, 2009 2:41 PM EDT reply actions
steve “the porn mustache” mazzagati is not at the top of the refs
by ztb on Sep 22, 2009 2:51 PM EDT reply actions
off the subject….how long has rashad evans been coaching the steelers?
by ztb on Sep 22, 2009 2:52 PM EDT reply actions
One good thing about Big John, he could MAKE the fighters comply. Remember when Babalu kept choking that guy “to teach him respect.” For 3 seconds after the guy tapped, the ref just asked Babalu politely to stop while Babalu defiantly kept sqeezing dude’s jugular and sending blood squirting out of his open forhead like a geyser!
Big John wouldn’t have asked a second time, he’d’ve knocked Babalu on his sadistic ass!
by shonuff on Sep 22, 2009 4:41 PM EDT reply actions
McCarthy is one of the worst refs ever. If you think otherwise, you have drank the Joe Rogan Kool-Aid, you dont know a single pro fighter ( most hate him behind the scenes ), you’re a follower who cant think for themselves, and have ZERO evidence to support your claim… Look no further at the horror that was the Jason Lamber v Babalu fight from 2007. In Big John’s face, Jason thumbed open Babalu’s cut, threw a closed handed fist right at Renato’s throat from 12 inches away, and rear headbutted Sobral’s cheek. He’s the best you say? Put down the pipe and think for yourself. There is a reason he is passed up, lots of ppl are happy he left.
by Youtaped on Sep 22, 2009 4:52 PM EDT reply actions
U either work for the UFC or the boyfriend of Babalu.
by DeeVeeR on Sep 22, 2009 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Hall of Fame should be for fighters. Not referees, not promoters, not sponsors, not T-shirt entrepreneurs. …I’m just sayin’!
by EvanTanner4ever on Sep 22, 2009 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions
True dat, Evan! Tanner didn’t get in H.O.F. and he was MW champion! (and a true champ inside and out and a true gentleman). R.I.P., E.T. I wish more champions were the kind of man you were!
by shonuff on Sep 22, 2009 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t care if he refs again personally. There are plenty of other good refs, and people forget that he’s made questionable decisions just like all the others. I knew when he left that he’d regret talking shit about the high-ups in the business, it’s best to just be mature and go on to you next thing quietly rather than slinging mud on the way out.
by kuato on Sep 23, 2009 4:57 AM EDT reply actions
That’s harsh! Big John is the best MMA ref there is!
by Daniel Contogiannis on Oct 1, 2009 10:00 AM EDT reply actions
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