Ariel Helwani is a name that has become synonymous to the world of MMA. Helwani has been covering the sport since 2006, working for MMA Fighting. He has also served as an “MMA Insider” for FOX Sports 1’s UFC Tonight show, in addition to other special event programming. In June 2018, Helwani joined ESPN and enjoyed a three-year stint there before his departure this past June. Now, following his tenure at ESPN, Helwani is being more transparent about his experience at the channel, as well as the relationship with Dana White. Helwani recently appeared on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugortz, and he did not hold anything back.
The issue with the UFC President began in 2016 on June 4th at the UFC 199 pay-per view. The UFC was keeping a major surprise under wraps – the return of Brock Lesnar at UFC 200 but, hours before they would announce it on the broadcast, Helwani broke the story. The UFC took issue to this as there had been no authorization to release that news, and that reporting was against standard reporting. Following that incident, Helwani and his colleagues were escorted out of the event, having their press credentials taken away and getting banned for life from all UFC events. The UFC President was not happy with this and announced that Helwani’s ban will last “as long as [he is] here”. He later said that Helwani would be allowed to cover events but won’t get credentials. Following backlash from the media, the UFC eventually returned Helwani’s credentials. Helwani continued to work as an MMA journalist before his signing to ESPN.
On the show, Ariel Helwani was blatantly asked whether “Dana White [ran him] out of ESPN?” This prompted Helwani to give a tell-all account of his experiences. Helwani admitted that ESPN becoming the sole broadcast partner of the UFC in the U.S. made him nervous. He also said “Dana White tried to get me not even to make it to my first day. He raised hell, my first day was June 15th, [he] tried to stop me to get to the first day.” Helwani also told a shocking story of how he would need to be escorted out of the building every time the UFC President would arrive prior to an event. Towards the end of the interview, Helwani admitted that White certainly did not make his time at ESPN easy but debunks the claim that he got fired. Helwani, instead, received an offer – it just happened to be one that he was “100 percent disappointed by”
The sport will continue to have Ariel Helwani though, as he announced his return to MMA Fighting – thus also allowing The MMA Hour to make it’s return. In addition to that, Helwani will also be joining BT Sport and The Ringer. There is certainly no doubt that there is an appreciation for Ariel Helwani and his continuous efforts in getting the sport more mainstream and enjoyed. Although he is not bitter, he is critical of the sport’s flaws. With that said, he continues to try to better it through his journalism because, before he is a journalist, he is also an MMA fan. It will be exciting to witness his return to where it all started for him.
The MMA Hour hosted by Ariel Helwani is set to make it’s return on August 16th later this year.
