Few names in mixed martial arts media carry as much weight as Ariel Helwani. A trailblazer in the industry, Helwani played a pivotal role in shaping the MMA media landscape, covering numerous promotions, including the UFC. At one point, he even shared a strong relationship with UFC head honcho Dana White—so much so that White once praised him as “one of the best interviewers in MMA.” However, that relationship took a dramatic turn before the all-important UFC 200 due to a defining moment in Helwani’s journalism career—one that involved former UFC heavyweight and WWE champion Brock Lesnar.
In staying true to his journalistic integrity, Helwani made a move that ultimately cost him his once-close ties with the UFC, marking a significant shift in his career. As the promotion grew in the early 2010s, so did Helwani’s reputation as a credible journalist. He joined the FOX Sports network in 2016 and would get to work immediately, covering MMA in every aspect possible. “I went on a rampage from March to June of that year. I tried to break every single story under the sun. Like, I was a man possessed,” Helwani recently revealed during an interview on Bo Nickal’s YouTube podcast.
Helwani maintained his relentless pace in breaking news, which soon raised suspicions within the UFC. According to the 42-year-old journalist, UFC CEO Dana White believed he had a source inside the promotion feeding him information. A claim Helwani has repeatedly and vehemently denied. Instead, he credits his ability to work so swiftly to the extensive network of “contacts” he has cultivated throughout his journalism career.
“I did a pretty good job of it. And in that process, I was doing such a good job that the UFC was convinced that I had a mole in the company that was feeding me information,” Ariel Helwani further stated. “Swear to God. I had no mole. I just had contacts, I had managers, I had fighters, I had coaches that were very kind to me, and understood that I was just trying to do journalism.”
But as we all know, 2016 was the year when Dana White finally came out and bashed Ariel Helwani while severing his relationship with the journalist. He wanted to keep former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar‘s return against Mark Hunt a secret. But Helwani would break the news before they did, which led the latter to get slapped with a ban for being “too negative,” as per the UFC boss himself.
“It all came to a head when I reported that Brock Lesnar was coming back. The UFC were very unhappy about this. They thought that I had ruined the surprise,” Ariel Helwani added. “[They thought] that I got the information from some weird way. It was not that. It was a couple of people [who] told me, I looked into it and I did sports journalism… That’s when they banned me in 2016, UFC 199.”
Credits: Imago
However, the ban didn’t last too long at all as it was lifted in under 48 hours. Moreover, Helwani continued to cover MMA like he used to till UFC 248. But why doesn’t Helwani cover UFC events now? Well, first it was the COVID-19 pandemic. And then he signed a deal with ESPN, which prevented him from attending events. Additionally, he didn’t go into details, but he did hint it has something to do with the UFC.
“I felt very very uncomfortable towards the end. They made my life very difficult… So when I left I said I’m going to focus on building my show, my relationships, the interviews and I don’t want to leave my family to feel uncomfortable and so that that,” Helwani revealed.
But what does Dana White think of the veteran journalist today? Well, things are not the same between Helwani and White anymore. And to not ruffle the boss’s feathers, even Joe Rogan doesn’t want to have a public chat with the journalist.
Joe Rogan doesn’t invite Ariel Helwani on JRE because of Dana White
Ariel Helwani has always spoken highly of Joe Rogan. Perhaps one of the most influential figures in MMA and the biggest podcast host in the world. Given Rogan’s frequent discussions about the sport, many have wondered why Helwani has never been a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience. According to the 42-year-old journalist, the answer is simple! Rogan’s decades-long relationship with Dana White all but guarantees that he’ll never receive an invitation.
“Throughout our entire time knowing each other, he (Rogan) has always been kind and complimentary but given his relationship with Dana, he’s not going to have me on,” Ariel Helwani stated in a past episode of the MMA Hour. “And I get that, I don’t need to be on. I routinely say that what he has built is so impressive and admirable, it’s the biggest podcast in the world.”
Despite the non-existent relationship with Dana White, Ariel Helwani is still at the top of his game. He’s not only covering MMA now but he’s stretched out his workspace to include coverage of professional wrestling and even boxing. Regardless, what do you think about his relationship with the UFC CEO? Let us know in the comments down below.
The post “UFC Was Convinced I Had a Mole” – Brock Lesnar Controversy Unraveled as Dana White’s Decision Explained by Ariel Helwani appeared first on EssentiallySports.
