Tag: Josh Rosenthal

Free At Last: Josh Rosenthal to Be Released From Prison After 19-Month Stint


(Photo via MMANuts.)

By CP Reader Bryan Adelman

Ah, Josh, we missed you.

Veteran MMA referee Josh Rosenthal is set for release this March after spending 19 months in federal prison, according to MMAJunkie.com.

As you may recall, Rosenthal was sentenced to 37 months back in July 2013 after federal agents seized, get this, over 1,000 marijuana plants valued at around $6 million, a year earlier at an Oakland, California warehouse owned by Rosenthal.

More on this story after the jump.


(Photo via MMANuts.)

By CP Reader Bryan Adelman

Ah, Josh, we missed you.

Veteran MMA referee Josh Rosenthal is set for release this March after spending 19 months in federal prison, according to MMAJunkie.com.

As you may recall, Rosenthal was sentenced to 37 months back in July 2013 after federal agents seized, get this, over 1,000 marijuana plants valued at around $6 million, a year earlier at an Oakland, California warehouse owned by Rosenthal.

At last, we can finally explain that seductive, hypnotic stare he always seemed to bring with him to the ring. Of course, Rosenthal is best known for his, shall we say, laid-back approach to refereeing.

Case in point, the incredibly late Chris Weidman – Mark Munoz stoppage, where Rosenthal found the time to step in only after Munoz absorbed an additional seven bludgeons than were needed (Yes, I counted them). Evidently, Rosenthal felt it wasn’t appropriate to jump in until Weidman had gone full-Donny Donowitz on the unconscious Munoz.

At the same time, however, he was equally beloved precisely because of that reluctance.

Take the hellacious beating Shane Carwin gave Brock Lesnar back at UFC 116. In the hands of a less competent (READ: merciful) referee, “The Engineer” would’ve been the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion and history would’ve briefly skewed onto an alternate path, until being subsequently corrected by a violent, Cain Velasquez ass-beating.

But, alas, it was not to be. We all know the story by now: Lesnar regrouped and took Carwin’s soul in the second round.

And what about the first Shogun – Henderson fight? Could it have been stopped in the third? Maybe.

BUT WERE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?  DID THE BLOODSHED NOT QUENCH THE GREAT OLD ONES’ THIRST?

I digress.

It’s unclear where Rosenthal goes from here. His referee license expired at the time of his sentencing and it seems unlikely he’ll be allowed to ref any high-profile fights, should he even attempt to get relicensed. Currently, Rosenthal is staying at a Residential Drug Abuse Program halfway house, the completion of which will justify his early release.

In a time where Kim Winslow still has a job, Herb Dean is getting punched in the Octagon, and “Big” John McCarthy is getting his ass kicked at a Costco, for Christ’s sake, the world needs Josh Rosenthal to come and set the world right again.

And before you condemn the man, before you call him a dirty, drug-dealing embarrassment to the sport, consider this: In the span of about seven years, Josh Rosenthal had the opportunity to watch some of the greatest fights first-hand and take part in a six million dollar marijuana empire. What have you been doing with your life?

Glad to have you back, Josh, you big, bald, beautiful bastard.

Josh Rosenthal Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Charges Stemming From $6 Million Marijuana Bust


(“Alex, listen to me, you’re going to be alright. That weed you smoked was a new hybrid strain I’m working on. I call it…’The Nelmark‘.” / Photo via Getty)

Six months after pleading guilty to drug charges including conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute, MMA referee Josh Rosenthal has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison with no possibility of parole. MMAFighting.com confirmed the news with the office of Senior District Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong, who sentenced Rosenthal today in Oakland, California’s U.S. District Court. Rosenthal will also face three years of probation after being released from the clink.

In case you missed this story when it first broke, we’re not talking about a guy getting hassled for carrying a little weed. Rosenthal was secretly a big fish in the Bay Area marijuana-ecosystem, and owned a warehouse in Oakland containing over 1,300 marijuana plants. Federal agents raided the facility last year, putting the kibosh on an operation that was estimated to be worth $6 million.

Now, one of MMA’s most capable refs is heading to lockup. And yet Steve Mazzagatti is still at large. Just doesn’t seem fair, does it.


(“Alex, listen to me, you’re going to be alright. That weed you smoked was a new hybrid strain I’m working on. I call it…’The Nelmark‘.” / Photo via Getty)

Six months after pleading guilty to drug charges including conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute, MMA referee Josh Rosenthal has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison with no possibility of parole. MMAFighting.com confirmed the news with the office of Senior District Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong, who sentenced Rosenthal today in Oakland, California’s U.S. District Court. Rosenthal will also face three years of probation after being released from the clink.

In case you missed this story when it first broke, we’re not talking about a guy getting hassled for carrying a little weed. Rosenthal was secretly a big fish in the Bay Area marijuana-ecosystem, and owned a warehouse in Oakland containing over 1,300 marijuana plants. Federal agents raided the facility last year, putting the kibosh on an operation that was estimated to be worth $6 million.

Now, one of MMA’s most capable refs is heading to lockup. And yet Steve Mazzagatti is still at large. Just doesn’t seem fair, does it.

Josh Rosenthal Cops Plea for Role in Six Million Dollar Marijuana Bust (!!), Currently Awaiting Sentencing


(“If you shortchange me again, Nick, I swear to God that retirement will no longer be an option for you.” Photo courtesy of Getty Images.) 

Despite his longtime standing as one of the best referees in MMA, veteran official Josh Rosenthal has been noticeably absent from the octagon as of late. While he informed BloodyElbow earlier this month that his absence was the result of a staph infection, it turns out that his troubles were less physical — unless he has the worst case of glaucoma this world has ever seen — and more legal. According to the U.S. District Attorney’s office in Oakland, California, Rosenthal recently plead guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana after a warehouse he owned containing 1,356 plants — valued at a street value of six million dollars — was raided last year. Rosenthal now faces a pretty lengthy jail sentence (via MMAJunkie):

Rosenthal is due in U.S. District Court on May 17. The government is recommending 37 months in jail, fines and five years of probation, during which he would be subject to random searches, according to the agreement. Without a deal, he faced 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and a minimum of five years’ probation. 

Rosenthal, who agreed to a plea deal in January, did not respond to request for comment. His lawyer of record, Ted W. Cassman, was unavailable for comment. 

Three years just for weed?! Damn!


(“If you shortchange me again, Nick, I swear to God that retirement will no longer be an option for you.” Photo courtesy of Getty Images.) 

Despite his longtime standing as one of the best referees in MMA, veteran official Josh Rosenthal has been noticeably absent from the octagon as of late. While he informed BloodyElbow earlier this month that his absence was the result of a staph infection, it turns out that his troubles were less physical — unless he has the worst case of glaucoma this world has ever seen — and more legal. According to the U.S. District Attorney’s office in Oakland, California, Rosenthal recently plead guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana after a warehouse he owned containing 1,356 plants — valued at a street value of six million dollars — was raided last year. Rosenthal now faces a pretty lengthy jail sentence (via MMAJunkie):

Rosenthal is due in U.S. District Court on May 17. The government is recommending 37 months in jail, fines and five years of probation, during which he would be subject to random searches, according to the agreement. Without a deal, he faced 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and a minimum of five years’ probation. 

Rosenthal, who agreed to a plea deal in January, did not respond to request for comment. His lawyer of record, Ted W. Cassman, was unavailable for comment. 

Three years just for weed?! Damn!

This of course begs one to ask: Why in the holy Hell was Rosenthal wasting his time separating sweaty dudes in a cage for peanuts when he was sitting on a goddamn gold mine? I know for a fact I’ve been told by experts in the field that harvest season isn’t for a couple of months, so unless Rosenthal has been using the UFC as his own personal barbershop over the years, it’s kind of puzzling that he would opt for the life of Joe Plumber over that of George Jung…

Then again, it sure would explain all of the recent drug troubles the UFC has been having. TELL US WHO SOLD YOU THE DRUGS, DANA.

–J. Jones

Quote of the Day: Josh Rosenthal Was “Slow on the Trigger” During Munoz/Weidman

(A replay of the Munoz/Weidman ending in all its gory glory for those of you who missed it.) 

Right before he kinda sorta announced his pending retirement from the sport during the UFC on FOUEL TV post-fight show, Stephan Bonnar made the audacious claim that referee Josh Rosenthal should be fined and/or suspended for his late stoppage during the Mark Munoz/Chris Weidman fight. After Weidman landed some 12 or 13 unanswered shots on a helpless Munoz, I briefly thought that we were witnessing the first death in the promotion’s history, and my immediate reaction was almost that of agreement. Almost. 

Because, although it is hard to deny that Rosenthal dropped the ball Wednesday night, the stoppage was likely considered even worse because it was a revered official like Rosenthal who made it. This wasn’t Steve Mazzagati calling an eye poke a TKO or Kim Winslow letting Jan Finney return from the dead only to be killed once more. This was Josh freakin’ Rosenthal, a man who had not only made our top five referees list a couple years ago, but had easily climbed up it a few spots in the time since. This was a man who had, as GritandMettle’s Darren Jensen put it, “reffed Shogun vs Hendo perfectly” — the same goes for his excellent job in the first round of Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin’s UFC 116 heavyweight title fight. What we’re saying is, this isn’t an everyday occurrence for the guy. Hell, can anyone even remember an instance in recent memory that Rosenthal has even come close to screwing up (Faber/Mizugaki maybe)?

In retrospect, Bonnar’s assessment was a little harsh, but Rosenthal was still willing to admit that he shit the bed, so to speak, when he appeared on SiriusXM’s “Tapout Radio Show”.

Check out a few snippets from the interview after the jump.


(A replay of the Munoz/Weidman ending in all its gory glory for those of you who missed it.) 

Right before he kinda sorta announced his pending retirement from the sport during the UFC on FOUEL TV post-fight show, Stephan Bonnar made the audacious claim that referee Josh Rosenthal should be fined and/or suspended for his late stoppage during the Mark Munoz/Chris Weidman fight. After Weidman landed some 12 or 13 unanswered shots on a helpless Munoz, I briefly thought that we were witnessing the first death in the promotion’s history, and my immediate reaction was almost that of agreement. Almost. 

Because, although it is hard to deny that Rosenthal dropped the ball Wednesday night, the stoppage was likely considered even worse because it was a revered official like Rosenthal who made it. This wasn’t Steve Mazzagati calling an eye poke a TKO or Kim Winslow letting Jan Finney return from the dead only to be killed once more. This was Josh freakin’ Rosenthal, a man who had not only made our top five referees list a couple years ago, but had easily climbed up it a few spots in the time since. This was a man who had, as GritandMettle’s Darren Jensen put it, “reffed Shogun vs Hendo perfectly” — the same goes for his excellent job in the first round of Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin’s UFC 116 heavyweight title fight. What we’re saying is, this isn’t an everyday occurrence for the guy. Hell, can anyone even remember an instance in recent memory that Rosenthal has even come close to screwing up (Faber/Mizugaki maybe)?

In retrospect, Bonnar’s assessment was a little harsh, but Rosenthal was still willing to admit that he shit the bed, so to speak, when he appeared on SiriusXM’s “Tapout Radio Show”:

I came home and I watched it, and I was kind of like you know, if I was sitting here, watching this on the couch, I probably would have been talking smack about myself. I always say accountability is a huge part of the sport, and you are accountable for your actions.

As for the stoppage in question, Rosenthal understands that it was a bit on the late side, but is just trying to make sure it never happens again:

 I feel like I was just a little slow on the trigger. I don’t want to see guys take unnecessary punishment. It’s a rough sport. Everyone knows what they sign in for, but it’s a millisecond-basis game. You’re making choices right there on the spot, and in the heat of the moment, I felt like I was seeing some stuff. In hindsight, I have to step my game up and make sure I’m on point for the next guys.

So what do you guys and gals think? Should Rosenthal be punished for failing to save Munoz when he was clearly out? Or does his one misstep pale in comparison to the blunders made by far lesser referees?

–J. Jones

Ref Josh Rosenthal Explains Why He Didn’t Stop Lesnar-Carwin

Filed under: UFCIn the days since Brock Lesnar came back from being absolutely brutalized in the first round of his fight with Shane Carwin to winning the fight in the second, some have questioned whether referee Josh Rosenthal should have ever permitt…

Filed under:

In the days since Brock Lesnar came back from being absolutely brutalized in the first round of his fight with Shane Carwin to winning the fight in the second, some have questioned whether referee Josh Rosenthal should have ever permitted the fight to get out of the first round, or whether Rosenthal should have stopped the fight and given Carwin a first-round technical knockout win.

I think Rosenthal made the right call, and his explanation of his own work in the fight pretty well demonstrates that he did what referees are supposed to do in such situations: He made sure the fighter was intelligently defending himself and allowed the fight to continue.

Shane Carwin Blames Referee Josh Rosenthal for Setting Off Chain of Events that Led to Loss to Brock Lesnar

(Rosenthal, WTF? You made me dump my adrenaline with your sweet talk.)
When Shane Carwin went from the being on the brink of dominantly beating UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar in the first round of their title tilt last Saturday night to feebly su…


(Rosenthal, WTF? You made me dump my adrenaline with your sweet talk.)

When Shane Carwin went from the being on the brink of dominantly beating UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar in the first round of their title tilt last Saturday night to feebly succumbing to an arm triangle choke in the second frame, many people were left wondering,"What the hell happened?"

Carwin, who originally claimed that his body locked up as a result of lactic acidosis, now says that his lack of energy to finish Lesnar was a result of a massive adrenaline dump, caused by the instruction of referee Josh Rosenthal. 

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