It doesn’t sound like there is a path to John McCarthy getting back into the UFC Octagon thanks to his difficult relationship with Dana White.

The 64-year-old is one of the most recognizable officiating faces from throughout mixed martial arts history, having helped create the Unified Rules of MMA after initially drawing up the original UFC rule book.

McCarthy was the third man inside the Octagon for some of the biggest fights of all time before stepping away from officiating and branching out into other areas.

Despite making a reffing comeback in 2025, the MMA icon known as ‘Big’ has still not been seen in the UFC since 2017. And according to the man himself, that is down to White’s stance.

‘Big’ John McCarthy has been absent from the UFC because he upset Dana White by working for Bellator

After hanging up his ref gloves following neck surgery, McCarthy went on to serve as a color commentator in Bellator.

He also built a presence in the media landscape through his Weighing In podcast alongside ex-Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson.

McCarthy claims that his decision to work as a commentator in a rival promotion is what has essentially left him blacklisted from the UFC by the promotion’s president.

Though it is believed athletic commissions have the final say when assigning referees to events, McCarthy has claimed that is not the case.

“It’s because I went and worked for Bellator, and Dana White was absolutely p—- about that and said, ‘I don’t want him.’ And he doesn’t need me. That’s fine,” McCarthy said during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show.

“You can sit there and say that (the athletic commissions decide which officials work events). But the UFC goes and they say, ‘Hey, we don’t want someone.’ (The commission) is going to say, ‘Okay.’

“You want the truth? I’ll tell you the truth,” he continued. “You’ve gotta be big enough and man enough to say, ‘Okay, no problem.’

“That’s just the way it is… They put in names for people they feel comfortable with, which they should be able to do.”

White did not make any public comments regarding McCarthy following the start of his commentary career in Bellator.

McCarthy officiated his first fight in seven years when he returned to the cage in October 2025.

His decision to work as a referee again came after improving his strength and physical capabilities years after his neck surgery.

It’s unclear whether White’s stance regarding McCarthy has changed, given Bellator’s demise and the veteran official’s separation from the Professional Fighters League.