Saturday Night Fever: McCarthy Not Offered UFC 104
Jake Rossen Oct 21, 2009
No plans for Saturday night? Maybe you could hang out with John
McCarthy: the sport’s most recognizable official told Sherdog.com
that he won’t be working UFC 104 in Los Angeles this weekend.
This despite having officiated several hundred UFC bouts, being
licensed in California, and generally having as much business in
between two angry prizefighters as anyone on the planet.
You can guess that McCarthy’s absence from the Octagon may stem from his critical comments about the UFC during his broadcasting stint and after “retiring” from refereeing. Either the California Athletic Commission perceives a possible conflict of interest -- no official should comment on the business practices of fighters or promotions -- or the UFC has broadcast word that they don’t want him around.
If it’s the former, the CSAC is correct in discouraging their freelance employees from offering critiques -- but McCarthy was not a referee at the time. His role as a commentator was to have an opinion, and he gave it. And if it’s the latter? I find it unlikely the UFC is making edicts about officials: it would be a lurid, cheap move by a promotion that’s often bemoaned boxing’s lurid, cheap moves. But if they did feel like squeezing, they’re in luck: the CSAC has an open-door policy on controversy.
You can guess that McCarthy’s absence from the Octagon may stem from his critical comments about the UFC during his broadcasting stint and after “retiring” from refereeing. Either the California Athletic Commission perceives a possible conflict of interest -- no official should comment on the business practices of fighters or promotions -- or the UFC has broadcast word that they don’t want him around.
If it’s the former, the CSAC is correct in discouraging their freelance employees from offering critiques -- but McCarthy was not a referee at the time. His role as a commentator was to have an opinion, and he gave it. And if it’s the latter? I find it unlikely the UFC is making edicts about officials: it would be a lurid, cheap move by a promotion that’s often bemoaned boxing’s lurid, cheap moves. But if they did feel like squeezing, they’re in luck: the CSAC has an open-door policy on controversy.
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