The Professional Fighters League hosted their second event of the 2024 Regular Season on Friday night. And while the night was overall a fun event filled with some high-action fights, it was somewhat overshadowed when a hot mic from PFL announcer Sean O’Connell made a joke about a fighter’s steroid use.
One of the biggest moments of the event came when former PFL Light Heavyweight champion Rob Wilkinson came up with a first-round knockout victory over Tom Breese just over a minute into the fight.
WELCOME BACK ROB WILKINSON!!! #PFLRegularSeason LIVE NOW
🇺🇸ESPN2
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI pic.twitter.com/drUuzZuWra— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 13, 2024
The win for Wilkinson continues what would be a six-fight winning streak in the promotion. Except for the fact that his last fight was overturned to a no-contest after Wilkinson tested positive for anabolic steroids. He was subsequently suspended for nine months and issued a fine by the promotion.
O’Connell made light of this accidentally immediately after Wilkinson’s knockout victory on Friday night after he was caught on a hot mic asking whether or not he should bring up the steroid use during his post-fight interview in the cage.
“Can I ask him… Can I ask him about his steroids? Where he got them?”
"Can I ask him about his steroids?"
Someone didn't know his mic was on.
(H/T @MMACASUALS1, @Boogerbeard1) pic.twitter.com/5dqlA7kqhW
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 13, 2024
It seemed like he was joking based on the fact that he mentioned bringing up where Wilkinson got them. But regardless, the moment pretty clearly took away from Wilkinson’s big moment in his return to the promotion.
On Saturday, O’Connell took to social media to issue an apology to Wilkinson, saying that needs to “be better” considering the impressive performance Wilkinson had just put on.
“Apologies to Rob Wilkinson and team about the wisecrack on hot mic. Gotta be better. Never want to be a lame distraction from a great performance.”
Apologies to Rob Wilkinson and team about the wisecrack on hot mic. @FactoryXMTMMA Gotta be better. Never want to be a lame distraction from a great performance.
— Sean O'Connell (@realOCsports) April 13, 2024
To be fair to O’Connell, he pretty clearly didn’t realize that he could be heard. And when you are found guilty of steroid use like Wilkinson was, you open yourself up to this kind of criticism.
Still, it clearly wasn’t the time for O’Connell to bring this up. And he seems to realize that, which is at least a good sign in terms of his broadcasting career moving forward.
