John McCarthy News

Fernando Quiles Jr. - November 25, 2024

One well-known MMA figure and pioneer believes Michael Chandler has seen better days in pro MMA competition. Chandler returned to the Octagon after two years of inactivity at UFC 309. He took on former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in a rematch. Chandler struggling with the grappling of “do Bronx,” but he did have a late surge and almost finished his opponent. Ultimately, Oliveira won the fight via unanimous decision, but fans inside Madison Square Garden cheered “Iron” for his efforts late in the fight.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - October 8, 2024

“Big” John McCarthy has gone off on one controversial referee who was on duty for UFC 307. Dave Seljestad has come under fire for his officiating during the Cesar Almeida vs. Ihor Potieria fight. The referee was bashed by fans and experts for missing a slew of eye pokes. He was also criticized for being easily influenced by fans when breaking up grappling positions.

Harry Kettle - August 3, 2024

MMA analyst John McCarthy believes Dana White should accept some blame for UFC 304 not being too eventful. Last weekend, UFC 304 took place in Manchester, England. While we had some great moments from the likes of Paddy Pimblett and Tom Aspinall, there were also plenty of decisions. Many blamed the fact that the main card started at 3am local time, whereas Dana White simply wasn’t happy with the performances he saw.

Curtis Calhoun - May 13, 2024

Longtime MMA referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy’s attempts to get a young Nick Diaz to tone it down proved futile at UFC 51. Diaz is one of the most beloved fighters in UFC history after a long, successful run inside the Octagon. The Stockton standout defeated the likes of BJ Penn, Paul Daley, and Frank Shamrock during his promotional tenure.

Harry Kettle - April 12, 2024

MMA analyst John McCarthy has given his thoughts on tomorrow night’s clash between Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway. This weekend, Justin Gaethje will defend his BMF title against Max Holloway. As you can imagine, fans are pretty excited to see how it all plays out. Both men have entertaining styles, neither man knows how to quit, and they’re willing to leave it all in the cage.

Harry Kettle - April 2, 2024

Former MMA referee John McCarthy has explained why he believes the commission did the right thing by changing Chris Weidman’s victory to a technical decision. Last weekend, Chris Weidman defeated Bruno Silva. It was initially ruled as a stoppage win for Chris, however, it was eventually changed to a technical decision. In the immediate aftermath, there was a lot of controversy surrounding reported eye pokes that were committed by Weidman.

Susan Cox - March 12, 2024

John McCarthy is explaining why he absolutely hates the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson booking. The boxing match between Paul and Tyson is scheduled for Saturday, July 20th, at the AT &T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and will stream live on Netflix.

Susan Cox - March 4, 2024

John McCarthy is weighing in on Saturday’s Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Shamil Gaziev main event bout at UFC Vegas 87. It was just this past weekend that saw Jairzinho Rozenstruik (14-5 MMA) vs. Shamil Gaziev (12-1 MMA) in a heavyweight main event bout.

Harry Kettle - January 4, 2024

MMA analyst John McCarthy isn’t convinced that Colby Covington will ever reach the championship level after his loss at UFC 296. Last month at UFC 296, Colby Covington fell short in his attempt to claim the UFC welterweight championship. He lost via unanimous decision to Leon Edwards in a bout that was largely dominated by the reigning champion from Birmingham, England. In the aftermath of the contest, fans and pundits alike were quick to criticize ‘Chaos’ for the way he fought.

Harry Kettle - December 6, 2023

John McCarthy has given his thoughts on UFC president Dana White’s recent comments regarding PFL purchasing Bellator. The MMA community has had a few weeks to digest the news that PFL has purchased Bellator. As you can imagine, there have been plenty of opinions flying around regarding what it means for the sport and for both brands moving forward.

Harry Kettle - November 1, 2023

MMA analyst John McCarthy has given his thoughts on why the UFC didn’t want Stipe Miocic in the interim heavyweight title fight at UFC 295. At UFC 295, Tom Aspinall will battle Sergei Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight championship. The fight has been made after Jon Jones was forced to pull out of his scheduled title showdown with Stipe Miocic due to injury.

Susan Cox - September 29, 2023

John McCarthy is speaking out after Tim Kennedy claims that his controversial loss to Yoel Romero ended his fight career. Tim Kennedy (18-6 MMA) fought Yoel Romero (15-7 MMA) way back in 2014 at UFC 178.  The result was a TKO loss for Kennedy. John McCarthy was the referee of record for that fight.

Harry Kettle - September 15, 2023

Former MMA referee John McCarthy believes Israel Adesanya should’ve been forced to trim his fingernails before UFC 293. Last weekend at UFC 293, Israel Adesanya lost the UFC middleweight championship. He was beaten by Sean Strickland in a one-sided unanimous decision, leaving many fans and pundits stunned. It was one of the biggest upsets in MMA history, with many just not being able to fathom that Strickland was able to get the job done.

Susan Cox - August 31, 2023

John McCarthy is not sold on Dana White’s comments regarding a UFC comeback for Ronda Rousey. Ronda Rousey (12-2 MMA) retired from the MMA world all the way back in 2016 after experiencing back to back losses to Holly Holm (15-7 MMA) and Amanda Nunes (23-5 MMA).

Susan Cox - August 17, 2023

John McCarthy is explaining why he’s siding with Dana White in the Stephen Thompson pay dispute. It was at UFC 291, in Salt Lake City, Utah, where Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson (17-6 MMA) was set to take on Michel ‘Demolidor’ Pereira (28-11 MMA) in a welterweight bout. Pereira ultimately missed weight by three pounds so their match-up never took place. According to Dana White, the UFC offered Thompson another fight but he declined.

Harry Kettle - August 3, 2023

John McCarthy has questioned Jan Blachowicz’s claim that he was robbed in his UFC 291 defeat to Alex Pereira. Last weekend at UFC 291, Jan Blachowicz went head to head with Alex Pereira in a big light heavyweight clash. The popular opinion, in the eyes of many, was that the winner would receive a title shot in their next bout. In the end, the judges ultimately gave the nod to ‘Poatan’ following a competitive encounter.

Harry Kettle - July 7, 2023

Former UFC referee John McCarthy has dismissed the idea of Ronda Rousey making a sensational return to the UFC. As many fans know, Ronda Rousey built quite a legacy for herself in mixed martial arts. She holds a 12-2 record, and served as the first major female star the UFC had seen. She became a global phenomenon and while she did lose her last two bouts to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, she also had a lot of great moments along the way.

Susan Cox - June 8, 2023

Big John McCarthy is taking issue with Saturday’s UFC 289 main card lineup. UFC 289 takes place this coming Saturday, June 10th at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.