It would be easy to say my life would have been easier if I hadn’t left refereeing and essentially the UFC, but I know I would have missed other opportunities. COMMAND continues to grow, and our gym has expanded to 28,500 square feet, which makes it one of the largest mixed martial arts facilities in the country.
My eldest son, Ron, became a judge for California’s growing amateur MMA program in 2009. In 2011, we sat side by side to officiate a Strikeforce event together.
I’m closer to my father and mother than I’ve ever been in my life. And I’ll become a grandfather myself this October.
In life, I’ve taken chances, then faced what happens next. I do sort of live by the words I preach: Let’s get it on. Opportunities abound if you’re open enough to notice and go for them.
Officiating a fight with my eldest son, Ron, at a Strikeforce event (January 2011)
It’s been a long journey since the beginning. I have many things I’m proud of and some things I wish I could change, but that’s exactly what life is all about. We have highs, and we have lows. I’ve told everyone over the last eighteen years that I’m a lucky man, and I couldn’t have had a more exciting or fulfilling life thus far.
The one thing I want everyone to remember in the end is that all the things I’ve shared with you in this book involved people who were brave enough to take a chance.
When I talk with people about certain fighters or other figures in the sport, I’m sometimes taken aback by statements that someone should have done something better or differently. I always remember that hindsight is twenty-twenty. You will always have a clearer picture of how something should have been done once you have the entire story, but that’s not the way life works.
Life is about experiences and family: at my daughter Brit’s graduation with Elaine, my father, and his wife, Sandra
I always give credit to the doers of this world, the people who took a chance and strove for greatness. Sometimes it’s a fighter, but many times it’s just the average person who simply believes and takes that first step toward something greater. Everyone has it inside of them; you just have to believe it.
For this book’s last call, I give you my favorite quote of all time. This is for everyone who’s taken a chance, faced both victory and defeat, and continued to move forward—because you will never know until you try.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
—Theodore Roosevelt
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to acknowledge the following people:
Scott Massey, for being passionate and believing in a rock-head who thought he was smarter than you back then. You were a great coach, person, and friend, and I am sorry I didn’t say this to you when I should have.
Jeff Blatnick, who came into our sport with an open mind and was always willing to learn and help. You did much more than most people realize, and you will always be someone I respect and am proud to call my friend.
Chris and Denise, the best of what has come into the second part of my life. Chris, you can accomplish anything, and you have already proved it. Denise, thank you for being a savior. You are relied upon, and you come through every day.
Brian, Felicia, Mike, Majeed, Lou, and all my instructors. Thank you for making BJMUTA what it is, a special place with special people who work hard to make other people’s lives better.
—”Big” John McCarthy
The authors would also like to express our gratitude to Rose Gracie, the team at Medallion Press, including Adam Mock, Heather Musick, Paul Ohlson, Jim Tampa, Brigitte Shepard, and Michal Wlos, as well as Jen Wisnowski from Independent Publishers Group. A special thank-you goes to our editor Emily Steele, whose commitment and gentle touch were appreciated every step of the way. Thank you all for giving us the freedom to make our vision a reality.
And to our agent Margaret O’Connor, who found this book its perfect home and supported us through the process to the finish line.
John, thank you for your trust, patience, bravery and willingness to share history with the world.
For Joe Hall, Brian Knapp, and Mike Fridley, who made all the difference.
For my husband, Shane, my Irish saint. You are my one and only.
—Loretta Hunt
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1. A salute goes out to the LAPD, whose insurance program paid for corrective surgery as soon as I joined up. My Herman Munster—sized hands weren’t made to handle contact lenses.
2. A few years later on a cruise ship, Elaine and I won an award for the worst proposal story ever.
3. The move would later be adopted by Gracie and renamed Kimura after its originator.
4. This was later pared down to an eight-man tournament for UFC 1.
5. Rumors that Rickson was later offered the opportunity to replace Royce at UFC 3 are false. SEG approached Rickson to fight alongside his brother after Royce said Rickson was ten times better than him. Rickson priced himself out.
6. After Rhodes’ overexposure at UFC 2, I’d added a rule that fighters had to wear spandex or something similar under their uniforms. When he had none of his own, I loaned Leopoldo a pair of mine.
7. Horenstein’s luck would continue to elude him later at UFC 14 when he’d face another All-American wrestler named Mark Kerr in his second and final UFC appearance.
8. Coincidentally, Tank Abbott later faced both of these questionable winners in the finals: Taktarov at UFC 6 and Frye at Ultimate Ultimate 96.
9. The Octagon was mostly made of wood, barring the fencing, and all of the structuring underneath was two-by-fours with a lot of trussing.
10. Prior to the bout, I asked Severn if he had any questions. Our mics picked up his statement about two trains leaving separate stations and meeting in the middle. Since UFC 6, Severn’s ritual was to ask me questions about relativity or some other inane topic to get me to crack a smile. He rarely succeeded.
11. Pulver had left primarily because his pay was lower than that of the heavier champions.
12. Ouano went on to produce gloves for World Extreme Cagefighting, another promotion owned by Zuffa, as well as other promotions like King of the Cage, while glove prototypes continue to evolve and improve.
13. The Octagon’s canvas is replaced at each event with new sponsors’ decals.
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4. The UFC regularly released footage to media outlets the night of the fights, but that footage never contained the main event’s outcome, ensuring pay-per-view sales through replays.
15. Though Affliction’s cards were stacked, paying the fighters this much wasn’t sustainable. The promotion would do one more show and cancel a third just days before.
Содержание
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Foreword by Bas Rutten
1 Son of the Gun
2 Water Ballet and Bloody Noses
3 Elaine
4 The Badge
5 Vices
6 The Riots
7 The Beginning
8 Best Seat in the House
9 This Thing’s Going
10 Renegades
11 The Third Man
12 Writing on the Wall
13 Changes
14 The Hail Mary
15 The Art of the Call
16 All in the Timing
17 Let’s Get It On!
Acknowledgments
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Let’s Get It On! Page 36