Big John McCarthy is one of the most influential figures in MMA history — not as a fighter, but as the man who helped write the rules that shaped the sport.

In this episode, we sit down with the legendary MMA referee, BJJ black belt, and founder of the COMMAND referee training program to talk about what it really takes to protect fighters inside the cage. Big John breaks down why fighters are wired to hide their pain, how referees decide when to stop a fight, and why getting a fighter out at the right moment can save their career — and their life.

We also go deep into the early days of the UFC, the creation of the Unified Rules of MMA, and what most fans fundamentally misunderstand about the referee's role. Plus, Big John reflects on his recent return to refereeing Netflix's first-ever live MMA event featuring Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano — and what it felt like to be back in the cage.

Topics covered:

1. How referees read fighters who are hiding damage
2. The hardest calls Big John has made in his career
3. The birth of the Unified Rules and how they saved MMA
4. Early UFC chaos and how the sport evolved
5. Netflix's first live MMA event — Ronda vs. Gina
6. The COMMAND officiating program and the future of refereeing

Contacts for John McCarthy

Instagram & X - @JohnMcCarthyMMA

COMMAND MMA Referee Training MMAreferee.com 

Podcast: McCarthy Mondays with Josh Thomson on the Weighing In Podcast https://www.youtube.com/@WeighingIn/featured

Topic Links:

Felicia Oh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felicia_Oh

PFC – Executive security training company with Chad Lyman https://pfctraining.com/chad-lyman/

Joao Baretto  https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/joao-alberto-barreto

Helio Vigio https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/helio-vigio

Gerard Gordeau vs. Teila Tuli in UFC 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prcWJgfeuJg

Pat Smith vs. Scott Morris https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IABbQrQXlVk&t=7s

Tank Abbott vs Oleg Taktarov – Fishhooking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LufiBRFE2Iw

CAMO (California Amateur Mixed Martial Arts Organization) https://camomma.org/

ISKA https://www.iskaworldhq.com/

Unified Rules of MMA https://www.ufc.com/unified-rules-mixed-martial-arts

Zuffa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zuffa

Tito Ortiz vs Evan Tanner UFC 30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s110EQz0Ohg

California State Athletic Commission https://www.dca.ca.gov/csac/

ARP (Association of Ringside Physicians) https://ringsidearp.org/

Big John giving pre-fight fighter instructions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HGpSp8aS30

Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley – Strikeforce San Diego https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_vrF7N7Cu8&t=307s

Anderson Silva vs. Rich Franklin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDLz0THYPAs

Rose Namajunas vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euIO4WKIHP0

Georges St-Pierre vs. Michael Bisping https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOREpJ7ANPA

Brian Johnson vs. Reza Naseri https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxtXLGR2h7Y&t=61s

Music “Disambiguation” by Robel Borja https://open.spotify.com/artist/7j0DUZ79z4edeLkU2H1UoJ?si=eISl0YfaQ-yLThljs48j5A

Get in touch!

This episode was directed and presented by Dave Meyer, editor & coproducer by Ryan Turner, producer & marketing Robbie Lockie, music kindly provided by Robel Borja.