Fans aren’t buying what the UFC is trying to sell. Since the promotion signed the $7.7 billion broadcast deal with Paramount last year, they haven’t aired a single event on CBS. That changed on Saturday night when they aired the first on the Paramount-owned channel. So, people had some high expectations from the card. However, the first fight on the CBS portion of the card appears to have fallen flat on its face. 

Donte Johnson and Cody Brundage squared off for a middleweight bout, with a 2-hour simulcast block from 8-10 p.m. ET covering the final portion of the prelims and the start of the main card. While the fight itself didn’t appear to be any different from the several fights the UFC has been putting together, the relatively low level of the fight left many dissatisfied with what was the first fight on CBS. 

Ultimately, Johnson secured a split decision win over Brundage after three rounds. And the judges scored the fight 29–28, 28–29, 29–28. Regardless, did you know this wasn’t even supposed to be the first fight on CBS? Johnson noted in pre-fight interviews that due to the late opponent switch from Dusko Todorovic to Brundage, they were bumped up on the card and became the first ever fight on CBS, making history.

While Johnson might have been pleased with how things turned out, people in the community were furious. 

The MMA community airs frustration with UFC first fight on CBS

Take combat sports analyst Luke Thomas, for example, who took to X to express his disappointment. He wrote: “Not my favorite fight ever.” That’s not all, though. “First fight on CBS: Dreadful,” he later added. “Second fight on CBS: Vomiting from a low blow, they can’t even show on the broadcast.”

Meanwhile, a fan reacted to Thomas’ post, agreeing with him. “😂 This is the first MMA fight so many people have ever seen, CBS is pissed,” the user commented. Besides that particular fight, some have criticized the overall UFC 326 undercard entirely. 

Sports betting writer Adam Martin went as far as to mock the UFC. “Imagine being in the UFC war room and being like, ‘Yeah, it’s our first time on CBS, let’s do CODY BRUDNAGE VS. DONTE JOHNSON as the first fight!’” he wrote. Some have criticized the promotion for putting profits first, ignoring the quality of the cards under Paramount. Martin later added: “This is a TERRIBLE display of MMA, especially for new fans who are checking out the UFC for the first time. I wouldn’t blame anyone for wanting to change the channel.”

MMA Junkie and USA Today reporter Nolan King also joined the conversation. “Well, here we are. The first UFC fight on CBS ever: Donte Johnson vs. Cody Brundage,” he wrote. And later reacted to the quality of the fight, writing: “Not ideal.”

As for regular fans, they weren’t happy either. “Brave of you to call it a fight. It looked like two guys playing touch butt in the park,” one user commented. This was only the second fight for Donte Johnson in the UFC, while Cody Brundage has now fought several times in the promotion. 

Others expected more from the first fight on CBS. “I really thought this would have been a better fight,” one user posted. Perhaps all of UFC’s attention is on the White House card, planned for June 14. 

It looks like UFC continues to underwhelm its fans with subpar fights, at least according to their fans. But let’s be fair—what did you think of it?