“Together the two have produced one of the best books ever written about the sport, Let's Get It On. It’s part history and part biography, both parts equally fascinating.”
~ Jonathen Snowden, MMA.SBNation.com
“Plenty of personal anecdotes help turn this story of a fledgling (and often maligned) sport into an engaging memoir.”
~ Mary Frances Wilkens, Booklist (August 2011)
“Penned for the ultimate UFC fan, this exciting book details McCarthy’s rise to referee—from early big-time MMA events to early retirement to his recent return. The son of a tough-as-nails LAPD officer who invented the modern SWAT team, McCarthy describes memorable events of his childhood, such as beating up the kid who stole his new bike as well as his experiences in high school and his college career as a water polo player. He recounts his stint as a steroid-fueled weight lifter, his romance with his wife (don’t worry—he’s not exactly a romantic), his heroic role in the L.A. riots as a newly minted police officer, and finally his beginnings as a referee of mixed martial arts, which quickly earned a bad reputation for being ‘no holds barred.’ Each of the bouts he refereed is detailed from memory, which readers will enjoy. This is 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
“One of the most influential figures in MMA gets it on in this captivating book. 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 of 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 writer
“‘Big’ John McCarthy has long been MMA’s best and most knowledgeable official. He’s had the most amazing seat from the beginning in every arena this sport has ever been to—the hot seat in the cage!”
~ Randy Couture, UFC Hall of Famer and six-time champion
“MMA’s Mt. Rushmore is not complete without ‘Big’ John McCarthy. He’s been the long arm of the law inside and outside of the cage. The only thing bigger than his authoritative presence is his knowledge of the sport he helped build.”
~ Mauro Ranallo, MMA commentator
“‘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
“In all my fights over the years, there’s no one I’d rather have had in the cage or ring with me than ‘Big’ John McCarthy. He’s the original and still the best.”
~ Royce Gracie, UFC Hall of Famer
I really like the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. In that book, the author talks about omens: things or people that you meet for a reason and that, if you listen, will help you to find what you want in life. John McCarthy has crossed paths with many omens in his lifetime and often listened. His first omen was his father, a tough, no-nonsense Los Angeles police officer and Medal of Valor winner credited with originating the modern-day Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) program still used to this day. Both his mom and dad loved sports, and his father once told John that if a sport had no contact, he wouldn’t consider it a sport. I love that advice. Following in his father’s footsteps, John was always interested in learning how to keep himself and his fellow officers safe. He was ahead of his time, because when everybody still believed that stand-up fighting, like karate, tae kwon do, boxing, or Thai boxing, was the most effective type of martial art, John already knew he could take guys down and simply sit on them. Then it was pretty much over for them. So when, after the Los Angeles Riots, the LAPD was looking for the best ways to subdue a person, they invited a plethora (I had to use this word, being “El Guapo” and all) of martial artists to the table. When John challenged some of the teachings of the other instructors in real-life police settings, he grabbed the attention of Rorion, who invited John to train at the Gracie Academy. You see? Rorion Gracie was John’s omen that day because that was the person who, a year later, started the UFC. Rorion saw in John the qualities that we all see. John was imposing because he was big and strong but, most important, he had great insight and knowledge of skills and was a decision maker. After UFC 1, Rorion asked John if he wanted to referee at UFC 2, a show John wanted to fight in himself. Nobody knows all this stuff that happened when MMA became important, but guess who was right there from the beginning? That’s right: John! A month and a half before the UFC held its first show on November 12, 1993, I started fighting in Japan for the organization Pancrase. What I did was called free fighting, while the UFC called its fighting No Holds Barred. We had rules and were wearing shoes plus shin protection, but it was fighting. And since I was right there when it all started, I always thought I knew a lot about what happened in MMA from its birth. After reading this book, I guess I was wrong. ~ from the Foreword by Bas Rutten
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