Big John McCarthy’s return to Nevada on ice
McCarthy’s Return to Nevada Nixed Veteran referee Big John McCarthy has not been issued a license to officiate events in…
McCarthy’s Return to Nevada Nixed
Veteran referee Big John McCarthy has not been issued a license to officiate events in Nevada after applying with the state’s athletic commission earlier this month.
In a mailed letter from Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, McCarthy, who submitted his application Sept. 10, was informed that the state [does] not anticipate adding any additional referees at this time. We will place your application in the pending file in case the situation changes.
McCarthy, who has refereed nearly 600 MMA events worldwide since UFC 2 in November 1993 to March 2004, would seem a welcome addition to any commission staff, but the iconic referee said he applied with no expectations.
I don’t look at it like that. A license to referee or judge with an athletic commission — it’s not a right, he said. It’s a privilege. Everyone kept bringing up the fact that I wasn’t licensed in Nevada, so I said, ‘Alright, I’ll apply.’