Drew Chatman apologizes for stomping his rival on the floor. Photo: Reproduction / Twitter
March 23rd will be forever marked in Drew Chatman's career. The fighter, who was making his MMA debut at the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) event, made headlines on the world's main specialized websites when he climbed on top of his knocked out opponent to celebrate his victory (see in the player below). The fact led to his disqualification from the fight and a suspension from the California Athletic Commission, the entity that sanctioned the event. But a few days after the thoughtless attitude, Chatman doesn't hide his regret.
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In an interview with the North American website MMA Fighting, the fighter acknowledged the mistake and apologized to Irvins Ayala, who he called a 'good opponent'. Drew also asked Legacy and the California Athletic Commission for forgiveness.
“I wanted to apologize to Irvins Ayala. He was a good opponent, he showed heart. I didn't have a good attitude as a martial artist. I want to apologize to the California Athletic Commission, because they set the rules and they do it very well. I also apologize to LFA, because it gave me a great opportunity to show my skills. I'm not going to play the victim, because when you look, you see that the victim, in reality, is Irvins Ayala. It was unfortunate, it didn't have to end this way. The reality is that I made a mistake, I'm not trying to become famous with this, because I'm a martial artist”, said the fighter.
Chatman, who would receive a scholarship of US$500, approximately R$1.650, for the presentation, had his payment withheld by the California Athletic Commission. Despite not receiving anything for the fight, the athlete says he agrees with the organization's decision.
“Let me be honest, I don't deserve to be paid. This is disappointing to watch. my mother had to see it. People who look up to me had to watch it. I'm not a champion, but I overcame a lot of things and became something I didn't think I would become. (…) Rules are rules and at the end of the day, when you look at what happened, you say 'Okay' because they suspended my payment and suspended me for 90 days. I have to look back and live with this regret every day,” he declared.
Despite acknowledging his mistake and even giving up his scholarship, Drew Chatman guarantees that he had no intention of stepping on Irvins Ayala. According to the fighter, he was just euphoric about his first victory as a professional and celebrated as he did in his performances as an amateur.
“I usually celebrate my fights. If you watch my amateur fights, I'm always doing flips, cartwheels or whatever. I didn't think before doing it. I just jumped and did a backflip. It was almost like I subconsciously did something that I always do when I win,” concluded Drew.
So this happened after we went off air from # LFA36 last night. Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/WNlrNA9Za1
— AXS TV Fights (@AXSTVFights) March 24th, 2018
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