Big John McCarthy says Dana White is 'absolutely pissed' over Bellator: 'I don't want him'

The veteran referee said White is why he has not worked a UFC show since 2017, and that athletic commissions deciding who works is "not the case".

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Wed 4 Nov, 23:06 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Big John McCarthy, left, on The Ariel Helwani Show and UFC CEO Dana White — Photos: The Ariel Helwani Show; MMA Junkie

Big John McCarthy has said Dana White is the reason he has not worked a UFC show since 2017, telling The Ariel Helwani Show that White "is absolutely pissed" that he went to work for Bellator.

Helwani asked why McCarthy, who he said "wrote the damn rules", had not worked a UFC show in that time. McCarthy replied: "That's because I went and worked for Bellator and Dana White is absolutely pissed about that and said, I don't want him. And he doesn't need me. That's fine."

Helwani then put it to him that athletic commissions such as Nevada and California decide who works. "You can sit there and say that," McCarthy said. "When the UFC goes and, you know, they say, hey, we don't want someone, they're gonna say, okay." When Helwani said the media are told it is up to the commission, McCarthy replied: "Okay, continue to believe that." He added: "That's not the case. That's the way it is. You want the truth? I'll tell you the truth."

Asked how it works, McCarthy said the UFC does "put in names" of people it feels comfortable with, "which they should be able to do", and that he agreed it should have that right because its show rides on their decisions.

He said the same thing happened when he left the first time: "It was, oh, you're never doing this again." He said "a guy named George Dodd" told him "they're saying that you said bad things", that he answered "find those bad things", and that Dodd came back with "there isn't anything" and put him back in. "And then this time I went to Bellator and it was the same thing," McCarthy said. He played it down: "Is life totally fair? No. But you know what, you know, don't sit there and cry about stupid things."

The 64-year-old moved into commentary at Bellator after neck surgery and returned to refereeing in October 2025. He has said the most he ever made from the UFC was $2,000 for a full night at UFC 217 in 2017, when he refereed Joanna Jedrzejczyk v Rose Namajunas and Georges St-Pierre v Michael Bisping.

Bloody Elbow said White made no public comments on McCarthy after his commentary career at Bellator began. Asked about Dan Miragliotta's reported $1,600 for UFC Vegas 123, White has said referee pay is down to the commission: "That's the Nevada State Athletic Commission. That has nothing to do with me."

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Rose Namajunas