It is no mystery to anyone that the job of a referee is one of the most thankless in any sport, and MMA is obviously no exception. A small error in judgment can mean anything from the loss of a match to the end of a career. However, one name that stands tall as one of the worst referees as per MMA fans is that of Steve Mazzagatti, the man who was fired by Dana White. But did he actually deserve to be let go? The answer to this question has been provided by none other than Joe Rogan.

Speaking to stand-up comedian Brian Simpson on the latest edition of his Joe Rogan Experience, the UFC commentator got into a conversation about the importance of having a good referee. It was then that Simpson asked him the name of the referee whom Dana White hated. Without wasting a second, Rogan simply replied, Steve Mazzagatti. When further pressed about why the referee was so hated, the JRE host defended Dana White’s decision to fire the referee due to too many “f**k-ups.”

Joe Rogan said, “He f****d up a few of them. There’s a few of those guys that f****d up a few too many fights, and then they just—you know, you just can’t. After a while, we need someone reliable. I mean, you got a guy like Mark Godard who almost never f***s up.” However, he further added that “people make mistakes” every now and then, as they have the second hardest job, the first hardest being that of the fighters. As for his own, he considers his job to be one of the easiest.

Steve Mazzagatti was a contentious figure during his stint as a mixed martial arts referee in the biggest MMA promotion in the world. Throughout his time as an official, Mazzagatti was involved in numerous controversial calls, putting him at odds with many fighters and even the UFC’s head honcho himself. But who are the best referees to have ever been a part of the UFC? Well, Joe Rogan shared his pick.

Joe Rogan reveals the best UFC referees in his opinion

When Josh Burkman put Jon Fitch to sleep in World Series of Fighting 3 back in 2023, Dana White completely lost his cool on Steve Mazzagatti for failing to notice it. As a result, he suffered the wrath of the UFC president, who called him a toolbox. After the event, Dana White said, “Does anyone disagree with me that Mazzagatti’s a f***ing toolbox? I mean, he literally did nothing.”

However, when it comes to the best referees, Joe Rogan believes Herb Dean and ‘Big’ John McCarthy stand tall, according to the JRE host. Speaking on the same podcast episode, the podcaster revealed that the real ‘gold standard’ of referring was set by the two. He said, “(Herb Dean) He’s one of the best referees. The best referees—I mean, there’s quite a few of them that are really, really good. But I always say the gold standard—Herb. He’s the gold standard. And Big John, when he was doing it, was the gold standard.”

Well, it is sad to see that McCarthy retired from refereeing and moved to the role of a commentator in Bellator MMA. But seeing that the MMA promotion no longer exists, it would be interesting to see if the beloved UFC referee decides to make a much-awaited return, especially with so many big fights lining up in 2025. What do you think? Will ‘Big’ John McCarthy make a return to the UFC? Let us know in the comments.