In late June, former combat sports referee John McCarthy raised eyebrows when he said without him Jon Jones might have lost the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 165.
McCarthy, who served as the referee during the Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson matchup at the top of that September 2013 fight card, said on his “Weighing In” podcast, the cageside doctor wanted to stop the title fight before the fifth round.
Under normal circumstances, McCarthy’s decision would seem questionable. A referee telling a physician the fight should continue despite the doctor’s concerns? At first glance that seems like something that should not happen.