Props: TSN.ca

Note: McCarthy’s UFC 79 predictions include Wanderlei Silva and Georges St. Pierre. Interesting.

(Thanks to MMAmania reader “john” for the assist.)

“As I enter a new chapter in my life, I look forward to demonstrating my love and passion for the MMA world in my new role at The Fight Network. It’s a perfect fit for me and I can’t wait to get started.”

– “Big” John McCarthy comments on his retirement from mixed martial arts as a referee and his new career as an on-air personality and strategic adviser for The Fight Network. McCarthy will retire after officiating his 535th bout (the main event between Roger Huerta and Clay Guida) this Saturday night for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 6 Finale in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 8. For more background click here.

Earlier this week The Fight Network distributed an advisory that “big” news would be announced tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. ET regarding the future of “Big” John and his partnership with North America’s only all-combat sports channel.

It appears that his role as an analyst for The Fight Network is set to increase and his days as an official will come to and end after The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 6 Finale this weekend on December 8.

McCarthy has been inside the Octagon for some of the most high-profile events in the history of the UFC. In fact, he’s officiated more than 500 MMA bouts and has worked every UFC card since UFC 2 in 1994 sans UFC 78: “Validation” last month in Newark, N.J.

McCarthy — who has been a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department since 1985 — is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt who also operates his own gym in Valencia, Calif., called Big John McCarthy’s Ultimate Training Academy.

We’ll update this post tomorrow with more details after the conference call. For more background on McCarthy check out his official Web site right here.

(Thanks to MMAmania.com reader “Lucas” for the assist.)