MMA star star Cris Cyborg has taken ESPN to task for what she perceives as inadequate coverage of PFL, despite the organization delivering one of its most compelling events of the year.
The Brazilian voiced her frustration on social media, questioning why the PFL’s Thursday night card received minimal online support from ESPN MMA despite featuring three tournament finals and several spectacular finishes. The event aired on ESPN and included multiple weight class tournaments. However, it appeared to lack the promotional push that other combat sports content receives on the network’s digital platforms.
“Can anyone explain to me why @PFLMMA had one of their most exciting cards of the year on ESPN yesterday and they didn’t receive any support online from @espnmma during the event?” Cyborg wrote on social media.
The card in question delivered on entertainment value, headlined by Fabian Edwards’ dramatic knockout victory over Dalton Rosta in the middleweight tournament final. Edwards, brother of UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, landed a highlight-reel head kick at 1:28 of the third round that instantly ended the match, providing one of the year’s most memorable finishes in mixed martial arts.
The evening also featured Antonio Carlos Jr.’s return to championship form in the light heavyweight division, where he submitted Sullivan Cauley with a rear-naked choke in the second round. The heavyweight tournament concluded with Oleg Popov edging Alexander Romanov by split decision.
When questioned about the Thursday night scheduling, Cyborg explained the practical reality facing the organization: “Because ESPN gives them that day as a broadcast partner.” This arrangement puts PFL in a challenging position, broadcasting on a weeknight that traditionally sees lower viewership but represents their allocated time slot within ESPN’s programming structure.
The former champion defended PFL’s decision to spread tournament finals across multiple events rather than condensing them into a single card. “I completely disagree,” she responded to criticism of the format. “I loved them spacing out the finals and bringing back exciting fighters from the tournament in showcase bouts. Nobody wants to watch 8 fights that could all be 25 mins each. 3 title fights was more than enough.”
Cyborg also pointed to other instances where she felt PFL competitors deserved more recognition, specifically mentioning a previous knockout that went unnoticed by ESPN’s social media coverage.
ESPN recently lost UFC broadcast rights and faces questions about how it will prioritize different combat organizations moving forward.
