"As I enter a new chapter in my life, I look forward to demonstrating my love and passion for the MMA world in my new role at The Fight Network. It’s a perfect fit for me and I can’t wait to get started."
That was a quote from perhaps the most well known referee in the history of mixed martial arts -- "Big" John McCarthy -- this past December announcing his retirement from officiating and his plans to continue his career in the sport through other ventures.
Since that time, McCarthy has been working for The Fight Network, doing the commentary for its coverage of UFC events.
Today, Affliction MMA finally made it official through a press release that "Big" John would also be the color commentator on its broadcast team for Affliction: "Banned" on July 19. He'll be teamed up beside Mauro Ranallo once again to call the action for one of the most stacked cards ever put together.
There's no doubt that McCarthy brings a wealth of knowledge to the announcer's booth. Not only has he refereed 585 fights dating back to UFC: 2 in 1994, but he's also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. His credentials, along with being one of the most recognized faces in the sport's young history,speak for themselves.
As long as "Big" John doesn't all of a sudden go camera shy on us, this should be a winning combination for Affliction.
Affliction: 'Banned' will begin at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on FSN and The Fight Network. The broadcast will run for one hour on those networks before moving directly to PPV. The event will air live from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., and feature the inaugural WAMMA heavyweight championship fight between Fedor Emelianenko (27-1) and Tim "The Main-iac" Sylvia (24-4).
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