UFC
UFC NEWS: Referee "Big" John McCarthy may be returning to the UFC for UFC on Versus in San Diego
Jul 10, 2010 - 2:59:01 PM UFC NEWS: Referee "Big" John McCarthy may be returning to the UFC for UFC on Versus in San Diego

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Referee "Big" John McCarthy may be returning to the Octagon in August for the first time since December of 2007.

According to Sherdog.com's Greg Savage in a post on Twitter, "Just heard "Big" John McCarthy is scheduled to referee the UFC on Versus card in San Diego."

McCarthy briefly retired from reffing MMA after the bout between Roger Huerta and Clay Guida at the Ultimate Fighter six finale. He took a job with The Fight Network, and made some remarks about the Nevada State Athletic Commission that many believe have kept him from re-receiving a license in the state since then. He returned to reffing in November of 2008, and has been seen on many Strikeforce events since then.

McCarthy was the longtime head referee in the UFC, and was a staple as the third man in main event fights for years and years. He remains licensed in the state of California, but was not assigned for the UFC's return to the state last October with UFC 104.

UFC on Versus: Jones vs. Matyushenko was moved from Salt Lake City, Utah, to San Diego due to poor ticket sales, and will air live on the Versus network as the second of two contracted events for 2010 on August 1.

Penick's Analysis: This gives me hope that we'll see "Big" John in the cage for the Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez bout in Anaheim in October. I don't know if he'll get assigned for UFC 117 since it's a week later than this Versus card, but it's still a possibility. But he's one of the best referees in the business, and having him available for these big events in California is only a good thing. I know I'll be excited to see him back in the Octagon for the first time in nearly three years.