ESPN experienced technical difficulties during Friday’s broadcast of PFL Charlotte and it’s likely to leave a sour taste in the promotion’s mouth.
In case you missed it, PFL was back in action last night to stage an event in North Carolina. Headlining the fight card was a clash between former UFC contender Bryan Battle and Dalton Rosta. The two middleweights went toe-to-toe for three hard rounds, but it was “Butcher” who walked away with the split decision win. It was a solid event on paper, but there
were some issues with the broadcast itself.
That’s because ESPN’s live stream cut out as fighters were making their walk outs on the “Prelims” undercard. ESPN failed to start the main card stream in time for Josh Fremd’s curtain-jerker against Jhony Gregory. Fremd ended up winning the fight with a second-round TKO, but nobody was able to watch it.
Of course, this doesn’t look good for ESPN. Last weekend, PFL CEO John Martin revealed that the promotion was unhappy with ESPN and how the partnership has played out thus far in 2026. Martin credits ESPN for helping bring PFL to the next level, but the support could be greater.
Check it out below and let us know if you’ve noticed any ball-dropping by ESPN when it comes to PFL coverage:
“I’ve expressed frustration, which I stand behind, by the lack of commitment and support that ESPN has been willing to give us this year,” said Martin.
“But I don’t dismiss ESPN as a massive entity with a fantastic platform.”
Even MMA manager, Ali Abdelaziz, chimed in after UFC Charlotte to share his thoughts on ESPN’s media coverage of PFL. Check it out below:
“PFL has built some amazing careers and has some unbelievable fighters. They deserve more respect and recognition from ESPN and the MMA media. I truly hope they find the right home and continue to grow. Competition is good for the sport, and what they’ve done for so many fighters should be appreciated. We appreciate PFL and what they’ve contributed to MMA.”
