Veteran referee “Big” John McCarthy was the third man inside the cage this past Saturday night at Bellator 170 as Tito Ortiz scored a submission victory over Chael Sonnen.
As shocking as the end result was – Ortiz scoring a first round finish – the fact that the former UFC champion seemed content to leave the choke hold on well after the tap left many shocked.
McCarthy posted on Twitter that Ortiz, who said after the fight he didn’t feel Sonnen tap, also apologized to the referee for his actions.
I talked with him after and he apologized #AskBJM https://t.co/yiRKH3Pxtk
— Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) January 25, 2017