For those who tuned into Legacy Fighting Championships 61 on Friday, October 14, you were probably a little shocked to find out that the original main event between bantamweight champion Steven Peterson and Mark Delarosa was changed to a bout between Damon Jackson and Levi Mowles.
Even more shocking was the fact that the main event was canceled the day of the bout because Delarosa did not show up to the building for the fight.
AXS TV MMA events color commentator Michael Schiavello witnessed what went down with Delarosa -- it all started at the weigh-ins.
“On Thursday, we go to the fighter interviews and watch the weigh-ins and everything,” Schiavello said. “Delarosa walks up for his fighter interview, and he’s a kid who is 7-0. He’s obviously going places. He comes in and tells us a great game plan to beat Peterson. He had Peterson figured out in certain ways, and said, ‘I think Peterson is going to gas out because he’s struggling with the weight, so I’ll lead him to deeper water, and this is how I’m going to finish him. (Peterson) goes up to his hotel room or sauna or wherever he went and comes back an hour later, and some commotion happens onstage while ‘Ocho’ is re-weighing in,” Schiavello said. “His trainer flips out at Delarosa’s manager, and lights are about to fall on stage and whatnot. The commissioner moves the scale off of the stage because they’re not getting an accurate reading, I think, with all the hoo-ha that was going on. They put it on the floor just outside the weigh-in area, where myself and (fellow commentator) Pat Miletich and (Legacy FC owner) Mick Maynard are all there. The commission was there. They get a sheet out. He strips down and makes weight. We all see it. But then Delarosa cries foul that some shady stuff was going on and why did they move the scales and he didn’t really make weight and there are no witnesses to it. And now he’s not going to fight.”
As you can guess, Delarosa didn't show up on fight day, which then prompts Schiavello to call the fighter in an attempt to get him to the building for the fight.
“I said, ‘Give me his number. I’ll give him a call,’” Schiavello said to MMA Junkie. “I left a message saying, ‘Hey Mark, it’s Michael Schiavello. I don’t know what you’ve got in your head and you think something shady happened with the weigh-in, but Pat and I and (AXS TV Fights reporter) Ron Kruck, we were all there. We saw ‘Ocho’ weigh in. Come and fight. Don’t do this, man. You’re the main event on national television. You’re 7-0, not some bum who hasn’t got a chance. ‘You’re going to commit career suicide if you don’t fight. Do you not understand? You’re committing suicide by not being main event on TV, so you’re screwing over AXS TV, you’re screwing over your fans, and you’re screwing over Legacy FC, which carries over into Legacy Fighting Alliance next year. And Mick Maynard is now the matchmaker for the UFC. So you’re screwing over any chance you have of the guy that’s going to get you into the UFC in the future getting you in there. I’m telling you, take the fight.’”
Schiavello says that Delarosa may have committed career suicide by not showing up at the event, because Mick Maynard, who was the matchmaker for that event, will soon work the same role in the UFC.
“We never heard back from him,” Schiavello said. “Nothing. Nobody heard anything. As I said on TV, he pulled a heart muscle. Dude, you’re a fighter. That’s what you do – fight. And even if you think your opponent is one pound over the limit, you’re fighting for a title. You’re 7-0 and not some bum that’s being paid $200 to show up and make up the numbers. You’re looking toward the UFC. Now you can rule that out because there’s no way Mick Maynard is going to sign him for the UFC. There’s no way Legacy Fighting Alliance is going to become such a force next year and carry some real sway is going to sign you to fight next year.”
The next Legacy Fighting Championships event will be taking place on Friday, November 11 from the Firelake Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with Rafael Lovato and Cortez Coleman headlining.
