‘Big’ John McCarthy shares advice for criticized UFC Mexico City referee
The godfather of MMA officiating, “Big” John McCarthy, has some advice for a veteran referee who has taken some heat.
Mike Beltran has become a familiar face to combat sports fans. He has officiated some marquee fights in the world of MMA. Beltran was on duty for the UFC Mexico City Fight Night card this past Saturday. He officiated the Manuel Torres vs. Drew Dober bout, which ended in a first-round TKO finish for Torres.
Some fans have criticized the stoppage, feeling that Dober was on the receiving end of too many unanswered hammerfists.
John McCarthy on Mike Beltran’s UFC Mexico City Officiating
“Big” John McCarthy is well aware of who Mike Beltran is. McCarthy has respect for Beltran, but he feels the stoppage in the Torres vs. Dober fight was slightly off. Here’s what McCarthy said on the “Weighing In Podcast.”
“The stoppage was a little slow if you look at it,” McCarthy said. “It was good, but it was a little slow, and it was because of the uniqueness of what he watched off of the way he went down, and then the way he just stayed in one spot eating 15 shots.”
As far as what Beltran could’ve done different, McCarthy advised Beltran to simply trust his instincts.
“He actually started to go in if you remember watching it,” McCarthy said. “He actually stepped in, and it was like, ‘Ah, I got to give him more of a shot.’ No, you probably should’ve stopped it right there. You had the right read, but I understand why he did it.”
While Beltran has received some criticism, other fans liked seeing the veteran referee give Dober a chance before stepping in. The argument in favor of the stoppage is that Beltran didn’t intervene too early, and his timing wasn’t egregious.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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