John McCarthy
"Big"

AGE	63 / Oct 12, 1962

FIGHTS1,219

KO / TKO

442

36%

SUBMISSIONS

342

28%

DECISIONS

408

33%

DRAWS

NO CONTESTS

DISQUALIFICATIONS

BIOGRAPHY

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.

REFEREE HISTORY

Event		Fighters		Method	R	Time
Tuff-N-Uff - Tuff-N-Uff 151 Jan / 22 / 2026	Tyshawn Williams win	Featherweight	Khabibullo Azizov loss	KO (Punches)	1	1:48
Tuff-N-Uff - Tuff-N-Uff 151 Jan / 22 / 2026	Renato Canuto win	Lightweight	Luciano Ramos loss	Submission (Armbar)	1	3:47
Tuff-N-Uff - Tuff-N-Uff 150 Dec / 12 / 2025	Ty Flores win	TITLE FIGHT Heavyweight	Jamal Pogues loss	Decision (Unanimous)	5	5:00
Tuff-N-Uff - Tuff-N-Uff 150 Dec / 12 / 2025	Jaeleen Robledo win	TITLE FIGHT Featherweight	Evelyn Martins loss	TKO (Punches)	2	4:06
Tuff-N-Uff - Tuff-N-Uff 150 Dec / 12 / 2025	Noah Kiszka win	Catchweight	Nasir Davis loss	Decision (Unanimous)	3	5:00
Urijah Faber's A1 Combat 32 - Brand vs. Ewing Nov / 07 / 2025	Ethyn Ewing win	TITLE FIGHT Bantamweight	Billy Brand loss	KO (Punch)	1	4:13
Urijah Faber's A1 Combat 32 - Brand vs. Ewing Nov / 07 / 2025	Aaron Villa-Carlos win	Flyweight	Erin Hunter loss	Decision (Unanimous)	3	5:00
Urijah Faber's A1 Combat 32 - Brand vs. Ewing Nov / 07 / 2025	Said Magomed Esembaev win	Welterweight	Gavin Rice loss	KO (Spinning Back Elbow)	1	2:05
Urijah Faber's A1 Combat 32 - Brand vs. Ewing Nov / 07 / 2025	Danny Martinez win	Catchweight	Tyler Miller loss	Submission (Armbar)	1	1:50
Tuff-N-Uff - Tuff-N-Uff 149 Oct / 25 / 2025	Diego Brandao win	TITLE FIGHT Featherweight	Kai Kamaka III loss	Decision (Split)	5	5:00
Tuff-N-Uff - Tuff-N-Uff 149 Oct / 25 / 2025	Shamil Shikhshabekov win	TITLE FIGHT Welterweight	Troy Green loss	Decision (Unanimous)	5	5:00
Tuff-N-Uff - Tuff-N-Uff 149 Oct / 25 / 2025	Maki Pitolo win	Catchweight	Armus Guyton loss	Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)	1	2:10
Tuff-N-Uff - Tuff-N-Uff 149 Oct / 25 / 2025	David Goldenberg win	Catchweight	Raymond Lawley loss	TKO (Punch)	1	2:21
UFC 219 - Cyborg vs. Holm Dec / 30 / 2017	Khabib Nurmagomedov win	Lightweight	Edson Barboza loss	Decision (Unanimous)	3	5:00
UFC 219 - Cyborg vs. Holm Dec / 30 / 2017	Neil Magny win	Welterweight	Carlos Condit loss	Decision (Unanimous)	3	5:00
UFC 219 - Cyborg vs. Holm Dec / 30 / 2017	Myles Jury win	Featherweight	Ricky Glenn loss	Decision (Unanimous)	3	5:00
UFC 219 - Cyborg vs. Holm Dec / 30 / 2017	Matheus Nicolau win	Flyweight	Louis Smolka loss	Decision (Unanimous)	3	5:00
ACB 77 - Moscow Dec / 23 / 2017	Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov win	TITLE FIGHT Lightweight	Eduard Vartanyan loss	Decision (Split)	5	5:00
ACB 77 - Moscow Dec / 23 / 2017	Yusuf Raisov win	TITLE FIGHT Featherweight	Alexander Peduson loss	Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)	2	4:23
ACB 77 - Moscow Dec / 23 / 2017	Beslan Isaev win	Welterweight	Nah-Shon Burrell loss	Decision (Majority)	3	5:00
ACB 77 - Moscow Dec / 23 / 2017	Amirkhan Adaev win	Lightweight	Darren Smith Jr. loss	Decision (Unanimous)	3	5:00
ACB 77 - Moscow Dec / 23 / 2017	Gamzat Khiramagomedov win	Middleweight	Aleksei Butorin loss	Submission (Guillotine Choke)	1	2:59
ACB 77 - Moscow Dec / 23 / 2017	Ali Eskiev win	Welterweight	Rustam Gadzhiev loss	Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)	2	3:48
Bellator 191 - McDonald vs. Ligier Dec / 15 / 2017	Michael McDonald win	Catchweight	Peter Ligier loss	Decision (Unanimous)	3	5:00
Bellator 191 - McDonald vs. Ligier Dec / 15 / 2017	Valerie Letourneau win	Flyweight	Kate Jackson loss	Decision (Unanimous)	3	5:00
ACB 76 - Gold Coast: Young Eagles 23 Dec / 09 / 2017	Brett Cooper win	TITLE FIGHT Welterweight	Sharaf Davlatmurodov loss	TKO (Punches)	2	3:29
ACB 76 - Gold Coast: Young Eagles 23 Dec / 09 / 2017	Anthony Leone win	Bantamweight	Dean Garnett loss	Submission (Guillotine Choke)	2	4:40
ACB 76 - Gold Coast: Young Eagles 23 Dec / 09 / 2017	Islam Yunusov win	Bantamweight	Alan Philpott loss	Decision (Unanimous)	3	5:00
ACB 76 - Gold Coast: Young Eagles 23 Dec / 09 / 2017	Bai-Ali Shaipov win	Lightweight	Kieran Joblin loss	Decision (Split)	3	5:00
ACB 76 - Gold Coast: Young Eagles 23 Dec / 09 / 2017	Shannon Ross win	Flyweight	Ste Nightingale loss	TKO (Punches)	1	4:51
UFC - The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale Dec / 01 / 2017	Nicco Montano win	TITLE FIGHT Flyweight	Roxanne Modafferi loss	Decision (Unanimous)	5	5:00
UFC - The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale Dec / 01 / 2017	Lauren Murphy win	Flyweight	Barb Honchak loss	Decision (Split)	3	5:00
UFC - The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale Dec / 01 / 2017	DeAnna Bennett draw	Flyweight	Melinda Fabian draw	Draw (Majority)	3	5:00
ACB 75 - Stuttgart Nov / 25 / 2017	Ustarmagomed Gadzhidaudov win	Lightweight	Adrian Zielinski loss	KO (Knee)	1	1:17
ACB 75 - Stuttgart Nov / 25 / 2017	Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov win	Light Heavyweight	Joachim Christensen loss	KO (Punch)	1	1:14
ACB 75 - Stuttgart Nov / 25 / 2017	Ramazan Kuramagomedov win	Welterweight	Mindaugas Verzbickas loss	Decision (Unanimous)	3	5:00
ACB 75 - Stuttgart Nov / 25 / 2017	Coner Hignett win	Flyweight	Frederico Gutzwiller loss	Submission (Heel Hook)	1	0:48
ACB 75 - Stuttgart Nov / 25 / 2017	Luca Iovine win	Bantamweight	Omer Cankardesler loss	Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)	1	3:04
ACB 74 - Vienna Nov / 18 / 2017	Arbi Agujev win	Welterweight	Adam Townsend loss	Decision (Majority)	3	5:00
ACB 74 - Vienna Nov / 18 / 2017	Abdul-Rahman Dzhanaev win	Middleweight	Clifford Starks loss	Decision (Majority)	3	5:00
ACB 74 - Vienna Nov / 18 / 2017	Thiago Silva win	Light Heavyweight	Daniel Toledo loss	TKO (Punches)	2	4:29
ACB 74 - Vienna Nov / 18 / 2017	Lom-Ali Eskiev win	Featherweight	Felipe Cruz loss	KO (Knee and Punches)	1	1:34
UFC 217 - Bisping vs. St. Pierre Nov / 04 / 2017	Georges St. Pierre win	TITLE FIGHT Middleweight	Michael Bisping loss	Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)	3	4:23
UFC 217 - Bisping vs. St. Pierre Nov / 04 / 2017	Rose Namajunas win	TITLE FIGHT Strawweight	Joanna Jedrzejczyk loss	TKO (Punches)	1	3:03
UFC 217 - Bisping vs. St. Pierre Nov / 04 / 2017	Paulo Costa win	Middleweight	Johny Hendricks loss	TKO (Punches)	2	1:23
Bellator 183 - Henderson vs. Freire Sep / 23 / 2017	Patricky Freire win	Lightweight	Benson Henderson loss	Decision (Split)	3	5:00
UFC 215 - Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2 Sep / 09 / 2017	Amanda Nunes win	TITLE FIGHT Bantamweight	Valentina Shevchenko loss	Decision (Split)	5	5:00
UFC 215 - Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2 Sep / 09 / 2017	Kajan Johnson win	Lightweight	Adriano Martins loss	KO (Punch)	3	0:49
Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series - Season 1, Episode 8 Aug / 29 / 2017	Bevon Lewis win	Middleweight	Elias Urbina loss	TKO (Punches)	2	2:47
Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series - Season 1, Episode 8 Aug / 29 / 2017	Lauren Mueller win	Bantamweight	Kelly McGill-Velasco loss	Decision (Unanimous)	3	5:00
Bellator 182 - Koreshkov vs. Njokuani Aug / 25 / 2017	Andrey Koreshkov win	Welterweight	Chidi Njokuani loss	TKO (Punches and Elbows)	1	4:08
Bellator 182 - Koreshkov vs. Njokuani Aug / 25 / 2017	Matt Secor win	Welterweight	T.J. Sumler loss	Submission (Keylock)	1	4:00
Bellator 182 - Koreshkov vs. Njokuani Aug / 25 / 2017	Vadim Nemkov win	Light Heavyweight	Philipe Lins loss	KO (Punches)	1	3:03
Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series - Season 1, Episode 7 Aug / 22 / 2017	Benito Lopez win	Bantamweight	Steven Peterson loss	Decision (Split)	3	5:00
Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series - Season 1, Episode 7 Aug / 22 / 2017	Mike Santiago win	Lightweight	Mark Cherico loss	KO (Punches)	1	2:59
ACB 67 - Grozny: Cooper vs. Berkhamov Aug / 19 / 2017	Mukhamed Berkhamov win	TITLE FIGHT Welterweight	Brett Cooper loss	KO (Punches)	2	0:32
ACB 67 - Grozny: Cooper vs. Berkhamov Aug / 19 / 2017	Albert Duraev win	Middleweight	Clifford Starks loss	Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)	2	2:34
ACB 67 - Grozny: Cooper vs. Berkhamov Aug / 19 / 2017	Magomed Magomedov win	Bantamweight	Dean Garnett loss	Submission (Guillotine Choke)	1	4:09
ACB 67 - Grozny: Cooper vs. Berkhamov Aug / 19 / 2017	Salimgerey Rasulov win	Heavyweight	Evgeny Erokhin loss	TKO (Corner Stoppage)	1	5:00
ACB 67 - Grozny: Cooper vs. Berkhamov Aug / 19 / 2017	Abdul-Rahman Dzhanaev win	Welterweight	Isac Almeida loss	Decision (Unanimous)	3	5:00

+ LOAD MORE

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