In a sport where there is a new MMA event and referee popping up every day, most people would say that the UFC referees have been around the longest. Big John McCarthy was one of the oldest starting at UFC 2 and the next would be Mario Yamasaki starting at UFC 20. These two, along with Herd Dean and Steve Mazzagatti, share a love for the sport that runs deeper than a measly paycheck from an Athletic Commission. True, they are some of the longest running refs in MMA, but they also have something else in common. They all currently practice or have competed in some form of martial arts.
Big John McCarthy was training under Rorian Gracie at the time of UFC 1 and even tried to enter the tournament, but Rorian Gracie advised against it. John then went on to ref UFC 2 and is now a MMA icon. McCarthy is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and currently runs a school called Big John McCarthy’s Ultimate Training Academy.
Herb Dean was actually training with Zane Frazier when UFC 1 was being put together and has a professional MMA record of 2-3. Dean has practiced Judo, but one of the actual martial arts credits Dean has is his 2nd Dan Black Belt in American Jiu Jitsu. When asked why he referees he said, “I think of being a referee is similar to being a bass player in a band. The bass player provides a consistent rhythm and sets the groove so that the other instruments can shine.”
Steve Mazzagatti was practicing Muay Thai early on and opened the first school for it Las Vegas. Steve has also practiced Hung Gar and Wing Chun Gung Fu.
I got to speak with Mario Yamasaki about his passion for martial arts. He said he was going to train this year and get back in shape so he could compete in the coming year for the Pan-Ams. Mario Yamasaki is currently a 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and also has a black belt in Judo. Mario started competing in Judo when he was five years old until he was about twenty years old. He started competing in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu when he was about seventeen and had some success at it. He is a Sao Paulo Open Champion, a three time Capital Open Champion and an Eastern Open silver medalist. Mario also has many schools in the US, Holland, Sweden, Germany, Dominican Republic and Brazil. One of his students he mentioned was Murilo Santana, a recent CBJJE World Champion. His school is called, Yamasaki Academy.
These guys love the sport so much that they will find a way to stay as close as they can to as many fights as possible. Like all sports, people get older and become more of a spectator than a participant. Randy Couture has recently made it harder to use that as an excuse, but some people, including referees, have one of the better jobs. “We get the best seat in the house,” said Mario. “When you get old and can’t fight no more, you ref.”
