Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Big John McCarthy's here to straighten some folks out
Ultimate fighting referee Big John McCarthy will be in the ring tonight at the Convention Centre. (MIKE.APORIUS@FREEPRESS.MB.CA )
In case you've had your head stuck the sand for the past 20 or so years with regard to mixed martial arts, Ultimate Fighting Championship's Big John McCarthy is in town to straighten you out on a few things. For instance, MMA is not a spinoff from 20-30 years ago when a group of good old boys would rent a farmer's field and stage a so-you-think-you're-tough competition.
Actually, the retired 22-year veteran of the Los Angeles police is here as a guest referee for the Canadian Fighting Championship 3 card tonight at the Convention Centre beginning at 7 p.m.
For the last 14 years, the 6-foot-4, 240-pound McCarthy has been the world's pre-eminent mixed martial arts referee. He has worked nearly 600 bouts worldwide, including the Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock I at UFC 40 in 2002, and Randy Couture-Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 in 2008.
"Mixed martial arts is a combination of different types of martial arts," McCarthy said. "In the beginning it was putting them together to see which one was the actual best martial art for self-defence. It was putting a kick-boxer against a wrestler, or a jiu-jitsu guy against a boxer, to see what actual style ended up best in that kind of competition. Now all the fighters have to utilize multiple styles, kick, wrestle, jiu-jitsu. It's like a decathlon of martial arts. You have to be good at all the elements to be successful."
McCarthy will be the third man in tonight's main event pitting heavyweights Rodrigo Munduruca of Winnipeg (via Rio de Janeiro) and Dan Christison of New Mexico. He'll also warm up by officiating a few of the 10 undercard bouts, including the welterweight (170 pounds) tilt between Dan Grandmaison and Claude Patrick, both out of Eastern Canada.
McCarthy went on to refute another myth: the "misconception," that some people believe MMA is brutal. "In any combat sport, whether it is hockey, football, boxing, or MMA, if you take a great fighter and put him against someone who can't fight, that is brutality, because it is not competition," he said.
"But when you take two people who are trained at what they do, and are pretty equal in skills, it is no difference if they are fighters in MMA, tennis players or poker players. Everyone who thinks they are the best wants to compete against another person to prove how good their skills are. That is what MMA is."
The sport has surpassed both professional boxing and wrestling in popularity, especially in the younger age groups, and McCarthy believes he knows why. "With today's kids, everything is bigger, better, faster and more enticing as far as the element of danger is concerned.
"Boxing is like a pillow fight. They have two guys with pillows on their hands and all they can do is punch. With MMA though, they have smaller gloves, but they are allowed to do a whole lot more than just punch."
Tickets for tonight's card are $40, and available through Ticketmaster.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 13, 2009 C7
-
WFP Hockey
Download our new hockey app for the iPhone for Winnipeg Jets updates
-
Editor's Bulletin
Sign up for daily bulletins from editor Margo Goodhand
-
Winnipeg Jets
All things NHL on our Jets landing page
-
Twitter
Follow our reporters and our news feeds on Twitter
-
News Cafe
Check out the menu, read our blog posts or get info on coming events
-
Facebook Fanpage
Follow our Facebook Fanpage for story links, contests and special events
Ads by Google
- Back to Top
- Return to Other Sports
Poll
Most Popular
- Piers Morgan blasts 'gruesome' Madonna
- RCMP receptionist told Stobbe wife was dead
- Search is on for man seen leaving the scene where two Alberta Mounties were shot
- City family donates $1 million for endowed research chair in cardiology
- Province rules out reports of cougar in Transcona
- Census 2011 : Immigrant influx boosts Manitoban population
- Should the federal government be spending $7.5 million on the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee?
- Slain woman appears before jury on video
- CNN's Roland Martin suspended for comments that sparked protest by gays
- Driver of van in Ontario crash that killed 11 ran stop sign, police say
- Piers Morgan blasts 'gruesome' Madonna
- Clothing chain pulls Caterpillar boots to protest closure of London, Ont., plant
- Three winning tickets sold for Friday's $50 million Lotto Max jackpot
- Woman sexually assaulted during noon-hour in Exchange District
- Woman's car stolen at gunpoint at St. Vital mall, police say
- Eleven people killed after truck hits van in southwestern Ontario
- 'This is so silly': Mom and Dad tell story of baby Zade, born on side of Highway 59
- Stobbe said slaying during shopping trip 'strange': sister-in-law
- Tactical squad storms St. Vital house
- Restaurant Dubrovnik may be closed for good
- Do you smoke marijuana?
- Driver dead after SUV goes over Disraeli Bridge
- George Clooney's prank could end Pitt's career
- Piers Morgan blasts 'gruesome' Madonna
- Tina Maze strips down to her sports bra to send out underwear message: 'Not your business'
- Clothing chain pulls Caterpillar boots to protest closure of London, Ont., plant
- Minor earthquake strikes near Manitoba
- Car's plunge off Disraeli fatal
- Two children, two women die in fire
- Kate Beckinsale's weight fears over Underworld catsuit
- Harper driven by libertarian ideology, not reality
- Province rules out reports of cougar in Transcona
- OMG! Candy kings back at it
- Task force to review 2011 flood
- Winnipeg software company ranked top employer
- Tassimo brewers and espresso packages recalled amid rupture, burn concerns
- Lesson about war, power told with Shaw's comic touch
- Stobbe said slaying during shopping trip 'strange': sister-in-law
- Easy, economical, healthy soup
- Original Joe's, Elephant & Castle expanding
- Swedish bunny's sheep herding skills becomes click-monster on YouTube
- League encourages hazing secrecy
- Northern fishing lodge destroyed by fire
- Police target drivers talking on cellphones, texting
- Harper driven by libertarian ideology, not reality
- Obama torn by conflicting allies
- 'This is so silly': Mom and Dad tell story of baby Zade, born on side of Highway 59
- Time, it appears, is on Assad's side
- Minor earthquake strikes near Manitoba
- Woman's car stolen at gunpoint at St. Vital mall, police say
- Minor earthquake strikes near Manitoba
- Paddler Starkell was modern-day voyageur
- Driver dead after SUV goes over Disraeli Bridge
- Car's plunge off Disraeli fatal
- Canadian woman 'badly injured' in Mexico, local media report apparent beating
- Winnipeg mother watches as car stolen with child inside
- Swedish bunny's sheep herding skills becomes click-monster on YouTube
- League encourages hazing secrecy
- Local shooting spoofed on SNL
- The cost of calories: It's expensive to eat healthily
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.