Big John McCarthy has been a fixture in MMA almost since the beginning. He was the senior referee all the way back at UFC 2, back when the UFC had almost no rules. The big man’s job was mostly to prevent anyone from dying in the Octagon. After decades putting himself in the ring with some of the most dangerous men on the planet, he recently took to social media to announce that he came off second best against a tree.
McCarthy sustained numerous internal injuries, including six broken ribs and a punctured lung. While doing some yard work, it appears that a tree kicked back on the MMA legend, leaving McCarthy seriously worse for wear.
How an Icon of the Octagon Lost a Fight… with a TREE
John McCarthy was once as much a fixture of the UFC as the Octagon itself. He was instrumental in the development of rules and regulations in a sport that was once widely viewed as brutal and lawless. McCarthy actually at one point wanted to fight in the UFC after training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the Gracie Academy.
Thanks to his experience in law enforcement, Rorion Gracie and the original UFC brass saw fit to make the man a referee. McCarthy rapidly became one of the most recognisable figures in the fledgling sport, with his towering 6’3”, 260-pound frame and “let’s get it on!” catchphrase. McCarthy developed rules making the sport safer for fighters, bringing in referee stoppages following UFC 2 in the event that a fighter was unable to intelligently defend themselves.
Big John seemed to take the incident in his yard with good humour, posting a caption reading “Well, six broken ribs and one punctured lung later, I have figured out that lumberjacks need way more respect!!!”
Big John’s ability to keep a smile on his face and stay talking with six broken ribs is an impressive feat in and of itself:
“I had a tree attack me. I’m gonna go see how many ribs I broke. It’s a lot of fun! I would talk longer, but I have a hard time breathing. I’ll talk to you later, bye!”
McCarthy retired from UFC refereeing in 2018 and currently works as a commentator with Bellator. He has been an MMA fixture since the genesis of the sport and we hope he enjoys a speedy recovery so he can return to what he does best.
The next Bellator event will take place on June 11, when Welterweight champion Douglas Lima will defend his title against challenger Yaroslav Amosov.
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