McCarthy to Unveil LGIO Promotion April 23
Brian Knapp Mar 26, 2010
Elaine McCarthy, wife of esteemed mixed martial arts referee “Big”
John McCarthy, will unveil Canada’s first tournament-based
promotion, Let’s Get It On MMA, on April 23 at the River Cree
Resort and Casino in Enoch, Alberta, Canada.
A bout pairing UFC veteran Jason MacDonald and former International Fight League middleweight champion Matt Horwich will headline the promotion’s debut event. The promotion will hold tournaments in the 155- and 170-pound divisions, spread across nine shows in two regions. Each division will be formatted into a 16-man draw. East region events will be held at the Casino Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.
Despite her connection to the sport’s best-known referee, McCarthy
will not involve her husband in the promotion.
“This is entirely my promotion, and John has absolutely nothing to do with this,” she said in a release. “People are asking if he is going to be officiating at my shows, and the answer is always the same -- no. In fact, there have been days, because of the hectic pace of the promotion, where we don’t even see each other.”
McCarthy wields an impressive resume of her own, having served as the event coordinator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship at its inception in 1993. She currently serves as the program coordinator of the international MMA officials training course known as COMMAND and runs one of the largest MMA gyms in southern California.
Though the tournament format will only be open to Canadian fighters, additional matches, like the MacDonald-Horwich showdown, will include competitors from other countries at each monthly LGIO show. In addition to the April 23 premiere, the promotion will hold events on May 21, June 25, July 30, Aug. 20, Sept. 3, Oct. 15, Nov. 12 and a finale on Dec. 10.
“We really want to create a show that has something for all MMA fans to enjoy and get their money’s worth each time out,” McCarthy said, “and that is what we are striving to deliver.”
A bout pairing UFC veteran Jason MacDonald and former International Fight League middleweight champion Matt Horwich will headline the promotion’s debut event. The promotion will hold tournaments in the 155- and 170-pound divisions, spread across nine shows in two regions. Each division will be formatted into a 16-man draw. East region events will be held at the Casino Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.
Advertisement
“This is entirely my promotion, and John has absolutely nothing to do with this,” she said in a release. “People are asking if he is going to be officiating at my shows, and the answer is always the same -- no. In fact, there have been days, because of the hectic pace of the promotion, where we don’t even see each other.”
McCarthy wields an impressive resume of her own, having served as the event coordinator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship at its inception in 1993. She currently serves as the program coordinator of the international MMA officials training course known as COMMAND and runs one of the largest MMA gyms in southern California.
Though the tournament format will only be open to Canadian fighters, additional matches, like the MacDonald-Horwich showdown, will include competitors from other countries at each monthly LGIO show. In addition to the April 23 premiere, the promotion will hold events on May 21, June 25, July 30, Aug. 20, Sept. 3, Oct. 15, Nov. 12 and a finale on Dec. 10.
“We really want to create a show that has something for all MMA fans to enjoy and get their money’s worth each time out,” McCarthy said, “and that is what we are striving to deliver.”
Related Articles
