ESPN has long branded itself as the ‘Worldwide Leader in Sports,’ but sometimes even giants stumble. Ahead of UFC 320, the network dropped an exclusive interview online with Alex Pereira as he prepares for his high-stakes rematch against Magomed Ankalaev . On paper, it looked like the perfect build-up. Pereira, still haunted by his March defeat, has spoken candidly about fighting at “40%” and promised to show a better version of himself this time. But fans weren’t talking about what he said during this particular interview; they were too distracted by what they were seeing.

The video, hosted by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto with translator Derek by Pereira’s side, looked more like a student project than a production from a company valued at nearly $30 billion by The Wall Street Journal. A

See Full Page