An intimate profile of the legendary mixed martial arts (MMA) referee, this first full-length autobiography of pop culture icon “Big” John McCarthy details every aspect of his life—from his strong-handed Los Angeles upbringing to his involvement in the naming of the sport, his role in its regulation, and MMA’s rise in stature. The narrative follows “Big” John through his 22-year career as a Los Angeles police officer, where he taught recruits arrest and control procedures as well as survival tactics, then his 15-year career as MMA’s premier official in the chain-linked cage. A fixture of the sport, “Big” John started refereeing at UFC 2 in 1994 when MMA was in its infancy and went on to officiate at every major UFC event but two until 2007. Following a one-year hiatus as a color commentator and on-camera analyst for MMA and boxing events, he returned to MMA refereeing in 2008. In his own words, "Big" John relates his insider’s perspective from the midst of many of the sport’s greatest moments—from Tito Ortiz–Ken Shamrock I at UFC 40 in 2002 to Randy Couture–Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 in March of 2007—along with his account of the birth of the sport in America, its evolution, and MMA’s ongoing struggles for acceptance.
Let's Get It On!: The Making of MMA and Its Ultimate Referee
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Review
"Great storytelling, great insight, and a great history of the UFC’s rise. A subtle reminder that, much as we like the mano a mano of the sport, the third man in the arena can make all the difference." —Jon Wertheim, Sports Illustrated senior writer, author, Blood in the Cage
"A no-nonsense, hands-on account of the blood and sweat that lifted MMA from the sports blacklist and turned it into a billion-dollar industry. McCarthy didn't just observe history—he helped make it." —Jake Rossen, ESPN.com
"'Big' John has been around from the UFC's very beginnings and has experienced this sport from a perspective few will ever know." —Chuck Liddell, UFC champion and Hall of Famer
"'Big' John McCarthy has long been MMA’s best and most knowledgeable official. He's been in the most amazing seat from the beginning in every arena this sport has ever been in—the hot seat in the cage!" —Randy Couture, UFC Hall of Famer and six-time champion
"One of the best books ever written about the sport ... Part history and part biography, both parts equally fascinating." —SBNation.com
"The only thing bigger than his authoritative presence is his knowledge of the sport he helped build." - Mauro Ranallo, MMA commentator
"Compelling ... Many books have been written about MMA history, but the perspective from a primary figure in the sport sets this apart from previous efforts. At 418 pages, it's a hefty word, but fans will devour his stories and breeze through this highly entertaining tome." —Chicago Sun-Times
"A testosterone-fueled, adrenaline pumping joy ride, and fans will surely be thrilled to meet the man they know so well from TV." —Publishers Weekly
About the Author
"Big" John McCarthy served as an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department for 22 years and is the world's preeminent mixed martial arts (MMA) referee. McCarthy has officiated over 1,500 bouts worldwide since his debut at UFC 2 in 1994 and is one of the original authors of the sport's rules and regulations in the United States.
Loretta Hunt is a journalist who has penned more than 3,000 articles on all aspects of mixed martial arts since 2001. She has written for ESPN.com, SI.com, and the Los Angeles Times. She is the coauthor of the New York Times best seller Becoming the Natural: My Life In and Out of the Cage, the memoir of UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture.
Bas Rutten is a former MMA fighter known as El Guapo, an actor, an author, and a TV commentator. He is a former UFC heavyweight champion, the weekly cohost of HDNet’s Inside MMA, and the author of Bas Rutten’s Big Book of Combat, Volume 1 and Volume 2.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Most pro sports referees fade into the background and they like it like that. Few NFL refs are noticed, unless they blow a pass interference call. Major league baseball umps vie for notoriety with outlandish gyrations on strike-out calls, but please just try to name one. NBA refs only make headlines when they are caught betting on games, perhaps during their sentencing hearings. If fans know your name as a ref in most sports, that's not necessarily a good thing.
Not so in mixed martial arts.
Here we have a cast of characters almost as well known as some of the fighters.
These refs in this increasingly popular sport are well known, somewhat celebs in their own right. Many have their own "signature" way of starting the fights. Some are understated and quietly professional, like Mario Yamasaki. Some just bark, "Fight!" Others, like Steve Mazzagatti, yell "Let's hook em'-up!" Perhaps the most iconic MMA ref tag-line, though, belongs to "Big" John McCarthy and his patented start to each contest, as he shakes his hand and exhorts the two fighters, "Let's get it on!"
Big John has been around since the start of MMA and the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC). Now along comes his long-awaited autobiography, co-authored by Loretta Hunt. Hunt is one of the nation's premier MMA journalists. She attained some unintended notoriety of her own a few years ago in a well-publicized dust-up with UFC Emperor Dana White, who launched into a profanity-laced tantrum after one of Hunt's journalistic forays.
In a sense, the story of Big John is the story of modern MMA. He was there at the beginning, from UFC 1 when a slender dude in white pajamas somehow was able to choke out and submit a succession of incredible hulks.
So ... does Big John "get it on" in this book? Does he give us the inside scoop on the modern world of mixed martial arts? From his vantage point inside the octagon, does he bring us there in a credible way?
To get to the good stuff, you first have to wade through about 100 pages of back story on Big John's upbringing. This is not bad, because it gives you a context for his interest in athletics and combative sports. As a member of the LAPD during the time of the Rodney King race riots, he became interested in non-lethal ways to control suspects. This led him to intersect with Rorion Gracie who, at the time, was popularizing his own variant of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Southern California. In turn, this growing collaboration with the Gracies gave McCarthy a front-row vantage point regarding the very first UFC events. He was, literally, "present at the creation" of the modern UFC and the phenomenon of mixed martial arts.
Little known fact: before becoming the iconic ref for MMA events, Big John wanted to compete in UFC 2. Rorion Gracie nixed the idea, though, as he did not want Big John potentially having to fight Royce. Instead, he suggested that McCarthy wait until after Royce's reign ended, then get involved as a competitor. In the meantime, McCarthy continued reffing, grew increasingly comfortable in the role, and abandoned any thoughts of entering MMA as a competitor.
Another little-known fact: the yardstick of "intelligently defending yourself" is a phrase and standard coined by McCarthy in the early days of MMA.. Before the ref had the power to stop a one-sided fight, he had to rely on the fighter either tapping out or the fighter's corner literally throwing in the towel. Stubborn corners often refused to do the latter, creating situations where Big John genuinely feared for a fighter's safety. Concerned about this, McCarthy prevailed upon Rorion Gracie to tweak the rules to enable the referee to end a fight when, in the ref's judgment, one of the fighters was not "intelligently defending himself." This made MMA safer, which in turn likely hastened its acceptance by a growing number of state athletic commissions.
Much of the meat of book involves Big John going back, event by event, through the early days of the UFC. For some, this may be a tedious journey. For others, it is an interesting perspective on the early years of some fighters who are now luminaries but who were relative unknowns at the time, including Randy Couture, Vitor Belfort and B.J. Penn. He notes the way the sport was professionalized once Zuffa and the Fertita brothers purchased the franchise. This circumscribed the role which McCarthy had played during the SEG/Meyrowitz years of UFC ownership. Further, McCarthy found himself pulled in opposite career directions, trying to balance his police career with a growing involvement in MMA.
In the final phase of LGIO, McCarthy traces the fall-out he had with Zuffa and the UFC. His take is that much of it started over a misunderstanding about travel logistics to an UFC event in London. As a jumbo-sized humanoid, McCarthy asked to be upgraded to business class for the marathon flight from Los Angeles to the UK. By the time this was relayed to Dana White and the UFC brass, they got the impression that McCarthy was holding them up by demanding a first-class upgrade. From there, the relationship frayed. Still, in time, Big John returned to the UFC fold, exited his self-imposed "retirement" and is once again one of the most recognizable features on the UFC/MMA landscape.
McCarthy comes across as an earnest, no B.S. kind of guy, with no taste for bureaucracy or office politics. If you are a UFC or MMA fan, you will enjoy this book. You may never view Big John the same after you read this book and hear him exhort the fighters, "Let's get it ON!"
Not so in mixed martial arts.
Here we have a cast of characters almost as well known as some of the fighters.
These refs in this increasingly popular sport are well known, somewhat celebs in their own right. Many have their own "signature" way of starting the fights. Some are understated and quietly professional, like Mario Yamasaki. Some just bark, "Fight!" Others, like Steve Mazzagatti, yell "Let's hook em'-up!" Perhaps the most iconic MMA ref tag-line, though, belongs to "Big" John McCarthy and his patented start to each contest, as he shakes his hand and exhorts the two fighters, "Let's get it on!"
Big John has been around since the start of MMA and the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC). Now along comes his long-awaited autobiography, co-authored by Loretta Hunt. Hunt is one of the nation's premier MMA journalists. She attained some unintended notoriety of her own a few years ago in a well-publicized dust-up with UFC Emperor Dana White, who launched into a profanity-laced tantrum after one of Hunt's journalistic forays.
In a sense, the story of Big John is the story of modern MMA. He was there at the beginning, from UFC 1 when a slender dude in white pajamas somehow was able to choke out and submit a succession of incredible hulks.
So ... does Big John "get it on" in this book? Does he give us the inside scoop on the modern world of mixed martial arts? From his vantage point inside the octagon, does he bring us there in a credible way?
To get to the good stuff, you first have to wade through about 100 pages of back story on Big John's upbringing. This is not bad, because it gives you a context for his interest in athletics and combative sports. As a member of the LAPD during the time of the Rodney King race riots, he became interested in non-lethal ways to control suspects. This led him to intersect with Rorion Gracie who, at the time, was popularizing his own variant of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Southern California. In turn, this growing collaboration with the Gracies gave McCarthy a front-row vantage point regarding the very first UFC events. He was, literally, "present at the creation" of the modern UFC and the phenomenon of mixed martial arts.
Little known fact: before becoming the iconic ref for MMA events, Big John wanted to compete in UFC 2. Rorion Gracie nixed the idea, though, as he did not want Big John potentially having to fight Royce. Instead, he suggested that McCarthy wait until after Royce's reign ended, then get involved as a competitor. In the meantime, McCarthy continued reffing, grew increasingly comfortable in the role, and abandoned any thoughts of entering MMA as a competitor.
Another little-known fact: the yardstick of "intelligently defending yourself" is a phrase and standard coined by McCarthy in the early days of MMA.. Before the ref had the power to stop a one-sided fight, he had to rely on the fighter either tapping out or the fighter's corner literally throwing in the towel. Stubborn corners often refused to do the latter, creating situations where Big John genuinely feared for a fighter's safety. Concerned about this, McCarthy prevailed upon Rorion Gracie to tweak the rules to enable the referee to end a fight when, in the ref's judgment, one of the fighters was not "intelligently defending himself." This made MMA safer, which in turn likely hastened its acceptance by a growing number of state athletic commissions.
Much of the meat of book involves Big John going back, event by event, through the early days of the UFC. For some, this may be a tedious journey. For others, it is an interesting perspective on the early years of some fighters who are now luminaries but who were relative unknowns at the time, including Randy Couture, Vitor Belfort and B.J. Penn. He notes the way the sport was professionalized once Zuffa and the Fertita brothers purchased the franchise. This circumscribed the role which McCarthy had played during the SEG/Meyrowitz years of UFC ownership. Further, McCarthy found himself pulled in opposite career directions, trying to balance his police career with a growing involvement in MMA.
In the final phase of LGIO, McCarthy traces the fall-out he had with Zuffa and the UFC. His take is that much of it started over a misunderstanding about travel logistics to an UFC event in London. As a jumbo-sized humanoid, McCarthy asked to be upgraded to business class for the marathon flight from Los Angeles to the UK. By the time this was relayed to Dana White and the UFC brass, they got the impression that McCarthy was holding them up by demanding a first-class upgrade. From there, the relationship frayed. Still, in time, Big John returned to the UFC fold, exited his self-imposed "retirement" and is once again one of the most recognizable features on the UFC/MMA landscape.
McCarthy comes across as an earnest, no B.S. kind of guy, with no taste for bureaucracy or office politics. If you are a UFC or MMA fan, you will enjoy this book. You may never view Big John the same after you read this book and hear him exhort the fighters, "Let's get it ON!"
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Paul Lazenby
Format:Hardcover
Loretta Hunt and John McCarthy have done an EXCELLENT job on this book, which takes you through the evolution of the Ultimate Fighting Championship from its earliest days as seen through the eyes of its most revered official. Clyde Gentry's top-notch "No Holds Barred" used to be my favourite MMA-related book (and it is still required reading for sure), and while it's still superior as a historical text and a fantastic read, LGIO has narrowly edged it out as my overall favourite. Hunt's writing style flowed smoothly, never allowing the narrative to stagnate, while McCarthy's candor and lack of a need to exaggerate his own accomplishments were refreshing. One of the things I've always liked about John is that he has the balls to admit when he's wrong, and when it's appropriate he does so in this book without hesitation. I enjoyed getting a unique look at the MMA world through the eyes of a man who was at once a cop, a referee and one of the sport's primary architects, and finding out why he made many of the the in-the-cage decisions that he made. This man has led a unique and exciting life (including being on the front lines of the Rodney King riots), and I was riveted until the final page. Really, really good work here, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By nin/ja77
Format:Hardcover
It's UFC 140, December 2011 and Jon Jones has just successfully defended his Light Heavyweight Title against Lyoto Machida, defeating him with a standing guillotine choke that put's Machida to sleep before he can tap out, as Jones walks aways Machida drops head first to the floor of the Octagon and the first person Machida will see when he awakes is veteran referee "Big " John McCarthy who checks on him and tells him he's going to be okay. McCarthy has done this countless times on fighters who have been knocked out or put to sleep by a submission. The fact that an MMA referee has written his own Autobiography will probably have newer fans of the sport asking why? Who's this guy? With "Let's Get it On!: The Making of MMA & Its Ultimate Referee" you find out that "Big" John is one of the early pioneers of the UFC and MMA in general.
The book covers John's early life as he follows in his dad's footsteps and joins the LAPD, we are given a great insight into the Los Angeles riots that happened in 1992 after four Police officers were acquitted of the beating of Rodney King. It really was open season and anything goes and McCarthy tells us the stories of being a cop on the streets during this time that included being shot at regularly. Also the worries he had for his wife Elaine who was also on the force. It was in the aftermath of these riots that McCarthy would first meet Rorion Gracie and how the original idea for the first ever UFC event came about.
McCarthy covers the first few UFC's in great detail and includes some of the original ideas such as alligators circling the Octagon! He would eventually go on to referee the second event after been turned down in his attempts to compete. What follows are great stories of the UFC's early days where it really was no holds barred as loads of different fighting disciplines came to meet to decide which was the best. One thing McCarthy never get's that much credit for is the safer rules that he helped get put in place. There is many stories of the UFC going to court just trying to get a show on and at times failing and having to move the whole show to another state.
Another interesting thing is the subject of "fixed" fights in the UFC's early days, it's great to finally have some insight to this. Also trying to get regulated in Las Vegas throws up a few interesting names who were opposed such as Lorenzo Fertitta and Glenn Carano(father of future mma superstar & actress Gina). Of course the takeover by the Fertitta's is discussed and what new changes new UFC president Dana White brought. The Ultimate Fighter reality show is well covered as well as his retirement and come back to being a referee.
The book has some great photos of early UFC events as well down the side of some pages is a box with the event and matches officiated by McCarthy who gives a brief description of what happened. The book is written with longtime MMA Journalist Loretta Hunt, a woman who has been covering MMA for over 10 years and has written for leading sites Sherdog, ESPN.com and currently Sports Illustrated. She also worked with Randy Couture on his fine autobiography "Becoming The Natural".
With MMA books getting more popular it's great to have an insight from one of it's Pioneer's and one of the men responsible for how big it is today. Not only is this a fine Autobiography of "Big" John McCarthy's Career and life but it's a great history of what the UFC was like and what it has become today. There is only one thing left to say "Let's Get It On!"
The book covers John's early life as he follows in his dad's footsteps and joins the LAPD, we are given a great insight into the Los Angeles riots that happened in 1992 after four Police officers were acquitted of the beating of Rodney King. It really was open season and anything goes and McCarthy tells us the stories of being a cop on the streets during this time that included being shot at regularly. Also the worries he had for his wife Elaine who was also on the force. It was in the aftermath of these riots that McCarthy would first meet Rorion Gracie and how the original idea for the first ever UFC event came about.
McCarthy covers the first few UFC's in great detail and includes some of the original ideas such as alligators circling the Octagon! He would eventually go on to referee the second event after been turned down in his attempts to compete. What follows are great stories of the UFC's early days where it really was no holds barred as loads of different fighting disciplines came to meet to decide which was the best. One thing McCarthy never get's that much credit for is the safer rules that he helped get put in place. There is many stories of the UFC going to court just trying to get a show on and at times failing and having to move the whole show to another state.
Another interesting thing is the subject of "fixed" fights in the UFC's early days, it's great to finally have some insight to this. Also trying to get regulated in Las Vegas throws up a few interesting names who were opposed such as Lorenzo Fertitta and Glenn Carano(father of future mma superstar & actress Gina). Of course the takeover by the Fertitta's is discussed and what new changes new UFC president Dana White brought. The Ultimate Fighter reality show is well covered as well as his retirement and come back to being a referee.
The book has some great photos of early UFC events as well down the side of some pages is a box with the event and matches officiated by McCarthy who gives a brief description of what happened. The book is written with longtime MMA Journalist Loretta Hunt, a woman who has been covering MMA for over 10 years and has written for leading sites Sherdog, ESPN.com and currently Sports Illustrated. She also worked with Randy Couture on his fine autobiography "Becoming The Natural".
With MMA books getting more popular it's great to have an insight from one of it's Pioneer's and one of the men responsible for how big it is today. Not only is this a fine Autobiography of "Big" John McCarthy's Career and life but it's a great history of what the UFC was like and what it has become today. There is only one thing left to say "Let's Get It On!"
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a Great Read!
If you've any interest in MMA & the UFC then you just have to read this book!
Big John McCarthy is a legend... Read more
Big John McCarthy is a legend... Read more
Published 2 months ago by ian bolton
5.0 out of 5 stars
best mma audio/bio
Great review of classic mma history with a lot of insider bonuses. Imagine big John tearing up the early ufc competition
Published 4 months ago by Frankie Uhl
3.0 out of 5 stars
Worth reading
Quite interesting, gives a good insight into the struggle the UFC had when first starting.
I would have liked a bit more behind the scenes gossip on Dana and the fighters... Read more
I would have liked a bit more behind the scenes gossip on Dana and the fighters... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Brenden
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome
This is a great read for those who are a fan of MMA and want some insight into one of the important roles in the history of the UFC. Read more
Published 4 months ago by L A S R
4.0 out of 5 stars
Louis Tremblay "it does not matter what people think about...
Enjoyed the examples and behind the scenes information as well as John's personal comments
loved the cross referance to all the othergroups
loved the cross referance to all the othergroups
Published 4 months ago by kenP
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read!
If you like MMA and the UFC then you will love this book. Big John gives a good insider look at what is the fastest growing sport in the world. There are many funny moments. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Dwain Scott
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read for the MMA fan
Great insight on how the sport began from the man who single handedly developed the MMA referee, and still is today the standard for all ref's to follow.
Published 6 months ago by LimPShoT
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Job Big John!
One evening, perhaps it was 2005, I don't remember, I was channel-surfing and happened upon a couple of fighters in a cage. Read more
Published 6 months ago by F. Aldrich
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good decent book.
I must admit I almost gave the book 3 stars instead of 4. I think Mr. McCarthy was listing a bit too much for my liking. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Kim Pedersen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic look into the MMA and its famous referee
As someone whose has been fan of MMA for quite some time now, this book intrigued me a lot. I have been always interesting in someone's perspective from beginning of MMA so it is... Read more
Published 6 months ago by MG Mateo
