John McCarthy, the most recognizable and longest-tenured referee in all of American mixed martial arts, will take the next step in his professional career in the coming weeks. At a meeting with the Nevada Athletic Commission Wednesday morning in Las Vegas, the commissioners voted unanimously to elect “Big” John as a professional boxing judge.
Though McCarthy is known almost primarily as a referee, the retired Los Angeles law enforcement agent has acted as a cageside judge for many smaller events throughout the years. But with the NAC approving him to be a ringside judge for professional boxing in Nevada, he’ll have much more on his plate.