John McCarthy Criticizes Referee Who Disqualified Eddie Alvarez

“Big” John McCarthy has reacted to the referee who pulled out the dreaded red card on Eddie Alvarez.

On the ONE on TNT 1 card, Alvarez went one-on-one with Iuri Lapicus. Alvarez had top control and was landing punches. Lapicus turned his head and some of the punches landed on the back of Lapicus’ head. Despite Lapicus turning his head and the strikes not being intentional, referee Justin Brown disqualified Alvarez.

McCarthy, a current Bellator color commentator and former referee, discussed the disqualification during his Weighing In podcast (h/t MMAFighting.com).

“You guys need to understand, you have a responsibility to a lot more than your understanding. You have a responsibility to those fighters. You have a responsibility to the promotion, and you have a responsibility to the fans of MMA and the sport of MMA that you’re going to do something that’s reasonable within what you can do.

“Just to take a championship fight and throw up a red card or to disqualify somebody, you’re not using your brain. You’re not being reasonable, and you’re not thinking of the full context of what you have.”

This was the first disqualification loss on Alvarez’s pro MMA career. He is now 1-2 under the ONE Championship banner.