Netflix’s first live MMA card is leaning heavily into the sport’s history, and that includes the officiating crew assigned for the blockbuster main event between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano.
According to assignments released Thursday, legendary referee John McCarthy will oversee the main event when MVP MMA 1 takes place in Los Angeles. The longtime official, widely recognized as one of the most influential referees in MMA history, first worked inside the cage at UFC 2 back in 1994.
Big John McCarthy returns for blockbuster main event
McCarthy stepped away from officiating in 2018 and transitioned into broadcasting work with Bellator and PFL. Last October, however, he announced plans to return to refereeing, and now he will be handling one of the most talked-about fights of the year.
The California State Athletic Commission also confirmed the judging panel for the headliner. Derek Cleary, Michael Bell and Felicia Oh will score the fight between Rousey and Carano.
The matchup headlines Netflix’s first-ever MMA event in partnership with Most Valuable Promotions, the promotion founded by Jake Paul.
Veteran officials assigned across stacked card
The co-main event featuring Mike Perry against Nate Diaz will have veteran referee Mike Beltran working inside the cage.
Judges assigned to that bout are Chris Leben, Marcel Varela and Raphael Davis.
Elsewhere on the card, Francis Ngannou versus Philipe Lins will be overseen by veteran referee Herb Dean. Ron McCarthy, Jonathan Romero and Chris Crail were selected as judges for that matchup.
Rousey chasing historic audience on Netflix
The Rousey comeback has already become one of the biggest talking points in combat sports. The former UFC champion recently said she hopes the fight with Carano can break viewership records for MMA.
Rousey said she wants the event to surpass the estimated 8.8 million viewers who watched Junior dos Santos face Cain Velasquez on FOX in 2011.
See our full predictions for MVP MMA on Netflix here.