Ex-Referee John McCarthy Says BMF Title Fight Should Not Have Ended Early
One of the hottest topics circulating MMA continues to revolve around the ending of Jorge Masvidal vs Nate Diaz at UFC 244. Every direction a fan turns their head, a new media personality, fighter, or member of MMA Twitter is sharing their opinion on if the fight should have ended. In the latest, ex-referee “Big” John McCarthy voice his opinion on the ‘BMF’ title ending. And, in conclusion, Big John believes that the fight ended prematurely.
McCarthy is a long-time veteran of the referee game. Although he’s switched to commentary work, John is still heavily involved in the education and analysis of reffing. John spoke on a podcast revealing his thoughts on the stoppage. And, he told stories of how he’s handled ringside physicians in the past.
McCarthy Explains Doctor’s Early Stoppage Reasoning
McCarthy explained why the ringside doctor has so much power in New York. He shared how they were sued due to the mismanagement of Magomed’s (Abdusalamov) injuries in which he suffered brain damage. Magomed received a 22 million dollar settlement from the fight in Madison Square Garden against Mike Perez.
“As a referee, I can’t tell you how many times I controlled the ringside physician,” said McCarthy. “I would have a guy who’s cut and the doctor was like, ‘Eh, I think we need to stop this.’”
“I’d say, ‘Alright, hold on, I want you to think about this. It’s a big fight, both these guys are fighting hard. Yes, he’s cut, I see it, I know its a good cut. These fans came here for this fight. Let’s see if we can let him go another round, let’s see what happens. If it increases in any way, I’ll stop the fight and bring him over to you.’ You do that because the doctor wants to take care of the fighter. That’s what they do,” finished John.
McCarthy on Diaz vs Masvidal Finish
Afterward, John gave his opinion about the UFC 244 main event stoppage. And, according to Big John, he would have liked to see the fight last longer. Especially knowing the durability of Diaz and how the fans paid their hard-earned money to watch. Also, McCarthy made it known that the referee did a great job. At the end of the day, it was not the referee’s fault.
“It’s unfortunate (Diaz vs. Masvidal) was stopped. (However), It was totally within the doctor’s rights and Dan (Miragliotta) did nothing wrong. But I wish it would have been handled where someone was there and said, ‘Hey, let’s think about this and try to give him one more round if we can.’”
Analyzing the Stoppage
Add John McCarthy to the long list of MMA analyzers who have weighed in on the controversial stoppage. Including Dana White, everyone has communicated if they believe the fight was stopped early. Also, if they think Diaz deserves an immediate rematch.
So, what do the fans think? Let us know in the comments below.
