Big John McCarthy To Retire

[JamieOD]

From Yahoo Sports.

Legendary referee McCarthy retiring
By Kevin Iole

Thursday, Dec 6, 2007 12:21 am EST

LAS VEGAS — The best known referee in mixed martial arts will step down after Saturday's UFC card at the Palms Hotel.

"Big" John McCarthy, who has been a referee since UFC 2 in 1994, will work the main event of The Ultimate Fighter finale on Saturday between Roger Huerta and Clay Guida and then announce his retirement.

McCarthy, 45, will take a job as an MMA analyst with The Fight Network.

McCarthy, who began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Rorion Gracie in 1993, has become more popular with UFC fans than many of the fighters whom he officiates.

McCarthy, who operates an MMA gym in Valencia, Calif., has worked every UFC card since UFC 2 except for UFC 78 last month in Newark, N.J. According to his website, BigJohnMcCarthy.com, he's officiated more than 500 MMA bouts.

I really look up to the guy so it's a bit of a shame he's retiring.

[Darth Turkish]

I am sure he has other thigs he wants to do, aside from being an MMA analyst.

Plus his name carries a lot of respect in the MMA community.

still, it is a shame- he was a good ref.

[JamieOD]

I think he helps run a MMA Ref school. The address is www.mmarefs.com/