John McCarthy has explained why he has not passed judgment
Ultimate Fighting Championship game since 2017.
McCarthy, who helped develop the unified rules for mixed martial arts, said Dana White was unhappy when he joined Bellator
commentary team. He believed White’s opposition contributed to his absence from UFC duties.
John McCarthy says Bellator’s commentary role angered Dana White, discusses UFC’s influence over refereeing
State athletic commissions generally appoint referees for MMA competitions in their jurisdictions. McCarthy said the UFC offers commissions with the names of officials it favors.
“I went and worked at Bellator and Dana White was absolutely mad about it and said, ‘I don’t want him.’ And he doesn’t need me,” McCarthy told Ariel Helwan. “That’s good… You want the truth? I’ll tell you the truth. They name people they feel comfortable with, which they should be able to do.”
Big John McCarthy reveals why he hasn’t hosted a UFC event since 2017 and dismisses Dana White’s claims about officials: “I went and worked at Bellator and Dana White was absolutely mad about it and said, ‘I don’t want him.’ And he doesn’t need me. That’s fine. You want the truth? I’m telling you the truth. They put names on people they feel comfortable with, what they should be able to do.”
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani)
November 2, 2026
