Michael Schiavello tells bizarre story of Mark Delarosa's 'pulled heart muscle' at Legacy FC 61

Legacy FC 61’s main event was supposed to be Mark Delarosa’s chance to capture a title and maybe take a big step toward a future UFC contract. Instead, Delarosa committed “career suicide” in the eyes of AXS TV Fights announcer Michael Schiavello.

Delarosa (7-0) was set to fight bantamweight champ Steven Peterson (14-4) in the AXS TV-aired main event of the Oct. 14 event at The Bomb Factory in Dallas. Instead, he no-showed the event after complaining about circumstances at the weigh-ins the night before.

It was unfortunate, Schiavello told MMAjunkie Radio, because Delarosa was entering the fight with a solid gameplan.

“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 gameplan 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.’

“It was cool. It’s going to be a great main event for the championship.”

“Ocho” Peterson missed weight by three pounds the first time he stepped on the scales. As is the commission rule in the state of Texas, he had one hour to shed the weight and return for a second weigh-in.

The corners and management for the fighters kicked off an argument on the weigh-in stage, which set into motion a sequence of events that culminated with Delarosa refusing to fight the next night.

“(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.”

In most situations, a fighter’s anger gives way to sense. Legacy FC officials, as well as Schiavello and Miletich, assumed the fight would go ahead as planned once Delarosa thought it through.

However, the next day there was no sign of Delarosa, and with the fight drawing near, Schiavello placed a phone call to the 22-year-old, hoping to keep him from making a decision that will likely haunt him the rest of his career.

“I said, ‘Give me his number. I’ll give him a call,’” Schiavello said. “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.’”

When the call wasn’t returned, Miletich made a similar plea with his own voicemail.

Delarosa did not return any of the calls and never showed at the arena. His girlfriend, Montana Stewart, lost to Mackenzie Dern on the card, and he was also not cageside for her bout.

“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.”

For more on Legacy FC 61, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

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