MacDonald gets the call

Kevin MacDonald felt snubbed when he wasn't chosen to be a part of UFC 118 last summer in Boston -- and with good reason.
For more than a decade, MacDonald has been at the forefront of promoting mixed martial arts in the area.
Rare is the MMA event in New England that doesn't include him in one way or another.
Yet last August MacDonald was a spectator at Boston's TD Garden as people with whom he'd come of age training and officiating entered the cage for the first UFC event in Massachusetts.
MacDonald swallowed his pride and took great joy in seeing the sport he loves flourish in his hometown. He went on officiating matches in New England, and in January got the call he had long awaited.
On the phone was Nick Lembo, legal counsel for the New Jersey Athletic Control Board and a legend in MMA. He asked MacDonald if he'd be interested in being a part of UFC 128 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., and MacDonald happily said yes.
"When I didn't get called for the Boston show, I think some people noticed," MacDonald said. "I moved on. Things happen, and things happen for a reason."
MacDonald, a fixture at MMA events here in New Hampshire, will officiate two bouts and do the ring inspections for three others at the pay-per-view event on Saturday. He will be the ref for fights featuring Ricardo Almeida against Mike Pyle and Dan Miller against Nick Catone.
Neither fight will be part of the pay-per-view portion of the event. The Almeida/Pyle bout will be broadcast on Facebook. MacDonald will, however, do the ring inspection for at least one pay-per-view fight.
"Which is the way I like it," he said. "I don't need to jump right into the deep end of the pool."
He began his career in the sport as a fighter, but when MacDonald got "too fat" he decided to take up officiating. Almost 15 years later, he has refereed nearly 1,300 bouts and trained many local officials. He often works Combat Zone and Global Fight League events.
The next time MacDonald will be in New Hampshire will be for Combat Zone 37 on April 29 at Rockingham Park. Dave George, owner of Combat Zone, almost always uses MacDonald when he's available.
"Kevin is the best ref there is around," George said. "He makes good calls for the safety of the fighters, and he's fair."
Back in 2006, MacDonald was the ref for one of Tom Moreau's first fights. Moreau, who lives in Derry, has since become one of the most well-rounded fighters in New England, compiling a record of 7-2. The owner of Team Valor, he will be the headliner at Combat Zone 37 when he takes on Chandler Holderness.
If MacDonald is in the cage, Moreau said, you know it's going to be a well-officiated fight.
"He's definitely the most well-rounded (ref)," Moreau said. "And he's very attentive to the fighter's safety. He'll get down there on his hands and knees."
Moreau said MacDonald knows how to walk the fine line between stopping a fight and letting one go on. That can be particularly hard in a contact sport such as MMA -- refs are usually criticized for stopping fights -- but Moreau feels MacDonald has very good judgment.
"He goes the extra mile," Moreau said.
With a sellout crowd of nearly 18,000 expected next month, UFC 128 will be the largest event MacDonald has worked, though he has officiated televised events before; last summer he was an official at the God of Martial Arts put on by Moosin at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass. And, in addition to UFC 128, he has on his agenda the Bellator Fighting Championships at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut on April 2 (to be aired on MTV 2).
MacDonald said he has prepared for the upcoming UFC show by refereeing some bouts in Atlantic City, N.J., and going through special training in North Carolina.
Now, after nearly a decade in the cage and more than 1,000 fights, he will have his chance to fulfill his dream on the biggest stage the sport has to offer.
"I'm over the top," MacDonald said. "It's something I've wanted for so long."

Local ref at UFC 128

There will be a familiar face at UFC 128 in Newark, N.J., on March 19.
Kevin MacDonald, a.k.a. Kevin the Ref, of Watertown, Mass., has been selected to ref two bouts and will handle the cage entrance inspections for three other fights at the Prudential Center.
MacDonald has been involved with mixed martial arts since 1996 both as a fighter and ref. He has officiated more than 1,000 bouts, many here in New Hampshire, over the past 12 years. He is a regular with local production companies such as Combat Zone and Global Fight League.
UFC 128 will take place on March 19 and is headlined by UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua taking on Jone Jones.