Veteran referee Big John McCarthy says he has not officiated a UFC event since 2017 because he worked for Bellator, a move he claims angered Dana White, who said he did not want him back. McCarthy also pushed back on White's claims about how UFC officials are selected.
Veteran referee Big John McCarthy says he has not worked a UFC event since 2017, and he places the blame on his decision to work for rival promotion Bellator. McCarthy claims the move angered UFC president Dana White, who told him he did not want him back, as first reported by Ariel Helwani.
McCarthy, one of the most recognizable officials in the sport's history, has been absent from UFC cages for roughly nine years by his own account. According to his version of events, the break was not a matter of scheduling or availability but a direct result of the Bellator stint and White's reaction to it.
The referee also pushed back on White's public claims about how UFC officials are selected. The details of that disagreement were part of McCarthy's interview, and they put the veteran at odds with the promotion's leadership over how the process works.
The man at the center of it
Dana White, 57, is the face of the UFC and the final voice on who works its events. The American has long been the promotion's most influential figure, and his stance toward people who work for competitors has been a recurring theme in the sport's business history. White is not a fighter, so there is no competitive record attached to him, but his decisions shape the careers of athletes and officials alike.
Why it matters
- Officiating assignments sit at the intersection of competition and business. McCarthy's account suggests that working for a rival promotion can carry lasting consequences for an official, not just for fighters.
- The dispute over how UFC officials are chosen raises questions about transparency in a part of the sport that fans rarely see.
- McCarthy's long absence is notable given his profile. A referee who has not worked a UFC card since 2017 has missed nearly a decade of the promotion's evolution.
The story is based on McCarthy's own claims. White's side of the Bellator dispute is not detailed in the report, and the exact timeline of the falling-out remains McCarthy's account alone.
For fans, the interview offers a rare look at the politics behind the unseen figures who keep fights fair. Referees rarely speak this candidly about their standing with a promoter, which is part of what makes McCarthy's comments stand out.
