No, it’s not the Marvin Gaye song! Legendary UFC referee, “Big” John McCarthy will be making a special east coast appearance, signing copies of “Let’s Get It On!: The Making of MMA and Its Ultimate Referee.”
Former head referee for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), “Big John” has refereed over 600 bouts during his 14-year tenure from 1994 to 2007, including nearly every main card match from UFC 2 until UFC 31. A Tactical Self-Defense Instructor for the LAPD, he’s the owner of Big John McCarthy’s Ultimate Training Academy (BJMUTA) in Valencia, California. The first MMA gym of its kind, BJMUTA offers training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Submission Grappling, Taekwon-Do, Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, Judo and MMA. Since his announcement in December 2007 that he would retire as the UFC’s head referee, McCarthy has returned to officiating on several high profile events, such as Strikeforce: Destruction in 2008 and UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko in 2010. “Let’s Get It On!,” titled after the catchphrase coined by boxing referee Mills Lane and made famous by McCarthy, will be in bookstores on September 1, 2011.
Book Signing Event
9/16/11 7:00 PM
BookEnds
East Ridgewood Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ.
From the Publisher
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.
“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 (April 19, 2011)
“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
“‘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
Source: celebritybooksigningsandevents.com
Meh.