Former UFC Referee Exposes Pay Reality Amid Growing Scrutiny of Officials

"Big" John McCarthy, a legendary figure who defined the sport's early years alongside his long-time colleague Dan Miragliotta, has not refereed in the UFC since 2017. 

Miragliotta recently came under fire for a controversial stand-up decision at UFC Vegas 123 main event that arguably cost Renato Moicano his fight against Tom Nolan. While talking about the event recently, McCarthy exposed the UFC’s low paycheck structure for its cage officials.

John McCarthy Estimates Dan Miragliotta's Pay for UFC Vegas 123

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Helwani brought up the controversial night and asked McCarthy how much he thought Miragliotta earned for officiating that high-stakes event. While McCarthy admitted he didn't know the exact amount, he shared his estimate based on the highest paycheck he ever received from the promotion back in 2017.

"I can't tell you exactly, but Dan probably made $1,600 for that fight," he revealed. "Every fight I ever did in the UFC, the most I ever made was $2,000. That was the last show I ever did in New York in 2017... I got $2,000 for that entire night."

McCarthy claimed that the low pay makes dealing with online hate and death threats not worth it, adding, “They're being abused. They have death threats. You can only take so much. Eventually, when you're making that kind of money and dealing with all of this, it absolutely has an effect. After a while, you start thinking, ‘This isn't worth it.’”

He stopped refereeing for the UFC because Dana White blacklisted him after he signed a deal to become a commentator for rival promotion Bellator MMA. Right now, he remains active in the sport as a prominent broadcaster, analyst and co-host of the popular Weighing In podcast. 

John McCarthy Criticized Dan Miragliotta's Controversial Decision

The controversial decision has turned chaotic after the No. 14-ranked lightweight claimed he is completely ready to put MMA behind him following the knockout loss. 

Moicano, who dominated the first two rounds on the ground before the restart, shared that he plans to finish the final three fights on his UFC contract before walking away from MMA entirely to pursue a career in influencer boxing.

McCarthy sided with the fighter on his Weighing In podcast. While talking with Josh Thomson on Monday, he said, “He stands them up, and it's completely unfair to one fighter — Moicano. Moicano earned that position. He worked for that position. It's not an easy position to get to, and once he gets to it, it's his to have.”

Many in the MMA community have already started raising their voices against Miragliotta. Former champion Henry Cejudo strongly criticized the call, while Belal Muhammad flat-out labeled him a "terrible ref". High-profile commentators Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier also deeply scrutinized the bizarre stand-up. Despite the backlash, Miragliotta has not issued any public comments regarding the incident