Ariel Helwani believes the UFC will announce Conor McGregor’s return to the octagon within the next 24 hours, potentially during or after UFC 328. The MMA journalist expressed confidence in his earlier reporting about the former two-division champion’s comeback.
Helwani addressed skeptics of his previous McGregor report Friday night at a special live show he hosted in New York City.
“He didn’t believe my report about Conor McGregor, and I’m about to rub it in his face when they announce it in the next 24 or so hours,” Helwani stated.
UFC CEO Dana White recently fueled speculation about McGregor’s return. Earlier this week, White said he was “extremely confident” the fighter would compete this summer, citing “a lot of great things going on behind-the-scenes.”
McGregor has been inactive for nearly five years but continues to generate buzz with training footage on social media. At 37 years old, “The Notorious” posted recent clips showcasing his preparation.
The former UFC double champion is rumored to face Max Holloway on the International Fight Week card. McGregor has also been the most tested fighter on the roster this year, suggesting an imminent return to competition.
If Helwani’s prediction proves accurate, the announcement could come as early as this weekend during UFC 328 festivities.
After all the rumors and speculation, it does not seem like Conor McGregor’s UFC return will take place on the UFC White House card.
This news comes courtesy of Ariel Helwani, who provided an update on plans for the June 14 event in the U.S. national capital, held as part of the country’s 250th anniversary celebration.
That doesn’t mean, Helwani says, that McGregor won’t fight at all in 2026. In fact, Helwani speculates there’s a better chance McGregor competes in the main event of UFC’s International Fight Week event — which he revealed will be on July 11 in Las Vegas.
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to be Conor on the White House card,” Helwani said. “They have an International Fight Week card scheduled for July 11 in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena. There’s a greater chance of him fighting on that card than on the White House card.”
Could Conor McGregor Fight At International Fight Week in 2026?
Helwani, however, explains the UFC probably prefers McGregor compete on a numbered card for the chance to increase profit, attendance figures, and viewership numbers for a card that won’t have the White House’s unique appeal, citing financials.
“As I’ve told you, there’s no money to be made [from the White House event],” Helwani said. “In fact, they keep touting the fact that there’s money to be lost from the White House event. No one’s crying for them. I think they made like $850 million last year, according to what was released.”
UFC CEO and President Dana White recently announced he will announce the White House card and its main event in the coming days.
Michael Chandler has previously advocated for a long-awaited fight with McGregor to take place at UFC White House, but White shot that down in January.
McGregor and Chandler, after coaching season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter, were scheduled to face off at UFC 303 before McGregor withdrew weeks before the event.
McGregor has been open about fighting even “a no name” to return to the UFC.
McGregor, who has two fights left on his UFC contract, hasn’t fought since losing his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.
Since then, he’s had an unsuccessful bid for the Irish presidency and has had sexual assault allegations against him, including being found liable for the rape of Nikita Hand in 2018.
After initial bombshell reports from Harry Mac, an MMA journalist and New York-based promoter, Ariel Helwani of Uncrowned acknowledged Mac’s reporting and added his own insight, knowledge, and details on the UFC’s betting controversy.
In the hours following the much controversial Isaac Dulgarian vs. Yadier Del Valle fight at UFC Vegas 110 on November 1, Mac posted to social media with claims that the UFC was made aware by the FBI of the significant line movement that prompted several sportsbooks to close bets on the fight in the hours leading up to it. He claimed, however, that the UFC was willing to allow the fight to go on.
On the November 3 edition of The Ariel Helwani Show, Helwani seemed to confirm his understanding is the same, alleging the UFC felt that, despite the line movement, the fight presented no danger of being fixed. In fact, in conversations with those close to Dulgarian, Helwani says they were just as shocked by the poor performance of Dulgarian in the fight.
“UFC was made aware of this, and my understanding is there were conversations with Dulgarian and his team about this activity, and questioning him, ‘What is going on?’” Helwani said. “And, multiple times, he said that, according to my sources, that he was good to go. That there was nothing of this sort happening, and there was nothing to worry about, essentially.”
Ariel Helwani Discusses Massive Issue UFC Is Facing Following UFC Vegas 110 Gambling Controversy
Helwani added that he doesn’t believe the UFC had any involvement in the foul play of the odds; however, he feels their decision to not pull the fight after being notified of the line movement has led them to more controversy than they could have faced originally.
Mac followed up his first claim by adding a bigger allegation — stating that over 100 fights in the UFC have been flagged for suspicious line movement.
While Helwani did not confirm a number of fights, he did claim that this fight is “not an isolated incident” and alleges that more fighters have been offered to throw fights previously.
“My understanding is this is on the FBI’s radar,” Helwani said. “How deep of an investigation is unclear at this time; this is all very new. But, yes, this is accurate.
“My understanding is that this is not an isolated incident. And what I mean by that is I have talked to multiple people who have either experienced, or know of others who have experienced, situations where they have been approached about their willingness to do something like this…’Are you interested in throwing a fight for X amount of dollars?’
Helwani followed up by comparing this incident to the Darrick Minner vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke fight from almost exactly three years ago — a fight that resulted in James Krause being exiled from the MMA community. Coincidentally, Dulgarian is a former trainee of Krause’s.
Helwani claimed that this situation could get massive and sport a black eye not just in the UFC, but in the whole sport of MMA — exasperated by not only the simultaneous gambling scandal going on in the NBA, but also by a seemingly increased number of controversial referee and judging actions and decisions over this past year.
“This is a massive issue for the UFC, and when you consider — now I haven’t been told this part I’m about to say — but when you consider the questionable refereeing as of late, you can’t help but let your mind go there as well,” Helwani said. “Because there is no other possible explanation for some of the wacky stuff we’ve seen as of late. And it’s easy to do.”
On a related note, another one of Mac’s allegations is that an audit is being placed on fights refereed by Jason Herzog, sparking a bit of a back-and-forth beef on X (formerly Twitter) between the two.
In the last couple of hours prior to press time, Mac is alleging new information that will worsen this story — potentially involving a notable MMA manager.
For those demanding red meat – I’ve reached out to a certain mma manager as a professional courtesy to give him a chance to explain himself. Should he not explain himself, I’ll share what I have without his explanations
While Helwani could not verify any more of Mac’s information, he gave his own opinion on the reason behind all this. Helwani theorizes fighters lower on the card and not making a lot of money are being offered “quick fixes” to get them needed cash.
“I believe what is happening here is people are preying on lower-level fighters, who don’t make a lot of money, who are in tough spots, who are fighting in the major leagues, and they’re offering them a quick fix…” Helwani said. “How prevalent is this? I can’t tell you. But I’ve now heard it in multiple occasions in my conversations over the past 24+ hours.”
Dulgarian was easily submitted by Del Valle — a fight that saw Dulgarian move from a -250 favorite to a -166 in only a few hours’ time, as well as large bets coming in on a prop bet of Del Valle via first-round finish. Some sportsbooks have since offered refunds to bettors due to the controversial nature of the fight.
Dulgarian’s UFC tenure ended on November 2, released by the promotion just one day after the controversial fight. He went 3-2 in the Octagon.
Fabio Wardley recognizes his Joseph Parker win as his biggest moment professionally as an athlete but yet for some, there is still a bit of an asterisk on that moment. Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, Wardley discussed several aspects of his win over Parker which saw Wardley cement himself as the new interim WBO heavyweight champion.
After securing an eleventh round TKO over someone as established as Parker to where a potential fight with Oleksandr Usyk seems well within his grasp, one would think Wardley would purely be celebrating. However there are people out there who have been criticizing the nature of the Parker stoppage as being one that was quite premature.
After showing his due respect for Fabio Wardley as a fighter, Helwani mentioned he felt the stoppage was quite early but when asking if pundits like himself were being annoying bringing up these thoughts that stoppage was premature in the context of feeling like it was detracting from his win and Wardley said,
“No, look, thank you. I appreciate it. But no, it doesn’t. It doesn’t upset me. It doesn’t offend me. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion.”
“That’s no problem for me whatsoever. Again, I just ask that people don’t take away from what actually I achieved on the night because going into that fight, no one even gave me a hope. No one gave me a chance.”
Fabio Wardley thinks people can say what they want about the stoppage but follow up with due praise
Fabio Wardley articulated a fairly balanced take where he understands those who felt like the Joseph Parker stoppage came prematurely but also feeling a certain pride in his accomplishment and feeling like that should be acknowledged as such.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani as he further expounded upon his thoughts from the quote above, Wardley continued,
“Everyone thought I’d be done for within two, three, four rounds, whichever else. So, it’s fair for everyone to say what they want to say about the stoppage.”
“but just make sure that’s followed by praising the accomplishment of the achievement. That’s 100% fair.”
Perhaps the most exciting bit of news is the fact that fans will no longer have to shell out $80 per month for pay-per-view events as all UFC cards, including premium numbered shows, will air exclusively on on Paramount’s streaming service, effectively killing the promotion’s antiquated pay-per-view era.
That’ll save UFC fans nearly $1,000 annually, but it may come with a cost.
“The fans are big winners because now it goes from having a plus subscription, plus having to buy pay-per-views for $79.99,” Ariel Helwani said while discussing the UFC/Paramount deal. “If you’re a hardcore fan, that equals approximately $1,000 a year. Now, you don’t have to do that anymore. And as of right now, it’s either eight bucks or 13 bucks to be a Paramount+ subscriber. Way cheaper than being an ESPN Plus UFC fan.”
“The fighters, to me, they’re the big losers here. Not because the viewership gets affected, that remains to be seen. But they’re sitting here watching all the executives wave their pompoms and say how great this is. They’re hearing Dana White say, this is good for the fighters. So I ask, how is it good for the fighters? Is the base pay going up? Is the introductory pay going up? Are they getting rid of the show-win model? Are the performance bonuses now going to be $100k a pop as opposed to 50k? What becomes of the champions with pay-per-view points? No one has told the fighters. They didn’t consult them. They don’t have to. There’s no collective bargaining agreement.”
Dana White confirms fighter bonuses will increase with Paramount deal
With implementation of the UFC/Paramount deal still months away, there’s plenty of time for Dana White and Co. to figure out how to make up for a fighter’s lost PPV points, though White did acknowledge that bonuses would be “going up” following Tuesday’s episode of DWCS.
“Bonuses are obviously going up,” White said. “So that’ll be big. And just forget about the tide rising with all the other fighters. I mean, just the number that the bonuses bring to a fighter is millions of dollars.”
Will people pay big money to see Jake Paul get knocked out?
After a string of victories over past-their-prime MMA and boxing stars, ‘The Problem Child’ is targeting a clash with the former unified heavyweight world champion, claiming that he would “f***ing beat Anthony Joshua’s a**.” Initially, the callout was disregarded by fans and pundits alike, many of them accusing Paul of clout chasing.
That was until famed British boxing promoter Eddie Hearn insisted that a fight between the two was a “very real” possibility, putting the odds of it happening at “50/50.”
Despite coming off a tough loss against Daniel Dubois in his last outing, Joshua is still considered to be one of the heavyweight division’s premiere knockout artists, and Ariel Helwani believes people will pay big money to see him send Jake Paul to the shadow realm.
“People will tune in and people will pay the hard-earned cash just to see AJ knock him out,” Helwani said on Ariel x Ade. “For AJ, this is just—I mean, stealing candy from a baby.”
Tyson Fury ready to bet big on Jake Paul against Anthony Joshua
Jake Paul’s recent victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. drew a lot of criticism from fight fans as it appeared the two were phoning it in — a similar complaint lobbed at Paul’s highly anticipated and mildly-received clash against boxing icon ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson in November.
Thus far, Paul has only fought one “legitimate” active boxer in his career, that being Tyson Fury’s little brother, Tommy Fury. Paul ended up losing the bout via split decision, handing him his first and only loss thus far.
According to Gambling 911, Paul only has a 7.7% chance of beating Joshua, but that won’t stop the elder Fury from plunking down a million dollars on ‘The Problem Child.’
“Jake Paul chins AJ, yes,” Fury said in an interview with iFL TV. “100 percent. If they fight, I’m putting a million pounds on Jake Paul.”
The biggest talking point in the MMA world at the moment is not one that involves a particular fighter, but one that involves the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, and the potential of something historic that 30 years ago would have been a crazy pipedream.
The U.S.’ Fourth of July celebrations this year marked the beginning of a year-long celebratory series of events that will lead to the country’s Semiquincentennial — the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaring its independence from Great Britain.
During one of this year’s U.S. Independence Day events, Trump hyped up a vision of what he sees for next year’s grand celebration on July 4, 2026 (a Saturday). And Trump mentioned a UFC “fight” occuring on the lawn of the White House.
Turns out, this isn’t just hearsay, as the UFC would confirm to reporters that while nothing is set in stone, plans are indeed in motion for a July 4, 2026 card to be held in the nation’s capital.
Hours later, the likes of Conor McGregor and Jon Jones each posted to social media about interest in fighting on the card. This comes when McGregor hasn’t fought in the Octagon since 2021 and Jones announced a comeback after retiring and relinquishing the UFC heavyweight championship just two weeks earlier.
With MMA insider and personality Ariel Helwani and his crew — Petersy Carroll, Conner Burks, and Eric Jackman — back in the studio earlier this week, the group discussed what such an event could mean, if such an event is possible, and why fighters are scrambling to be a part of the card.
Is A UFC Card At The White House A Realistic Possibility? Who Would Be Part Of It?
Helwani and the others weren’t in complete agreement on if the card actually happens; however, they were in agreement about the significance of such a card — and perhaps why fighters want in on this. A UFC event on White House grounds would mark one of, if not the, most visible and mainstream moments for the sport of MMA in its history.
“It’d be the biggest spot MMA has ever been in, wouldn’t it?” said Petesy Carroll. “Could you imagine what that would look like in terms of a spectacle? Like we talked about the spectacle of the Sphere and stuff. Like, could you imagine that? The White House in the background with the Octagon.”
In fact, as Helwani mentions, MMA was targeted by American politicians and banned in most states 30 years ago. An event in the capital of the United States, on one of the country’s most prominent landmarks, underscores just how far the UFC has come.
“Ten years ago, it was still banned in New York,” Helwani said. “And to think that 10 years later — actually, the symbolism of [Trump] being elected the same week as the first show at MSG, 10 years later, an actual event at the White House — is pretty insane.”
That said, question arose as to the logistics of putting on such a card. President Trump said he sees 25,000+ people on the White House grounds, with Helwani and company being very skeptical of such a sight with proper maximum security measures put in place.
Scheduling also came into question, as while July 4, 2026, is a Saturday, it would put the event one week after the recent running dates of the UFC’s International Fight Week event (the last weekend of June). While some proposed the idea of moving International Fight Week to DC (which would be a whole other headache in itself) or re-scheduling International Fight Week, Helwani feels it’s doable to keep the week where it is and make what he would consider the most anticipated two-week period for the UFC.
On that note, it brings up the question of what kind of an event a UFC White House card would be — a traditional pay-per-view, a prominent Fight Night card (on either Netflix or ABC, depending on if Netflix and/or ESPN get the UFC’s US TV rights for 2026 and beyond), or a small but meaningful card similar to what the UFC had went it first joined up with FOX in 2011.
What Fighters Would Be Involved On A UFC White House Card?
As mentioned, McGregor and Jones are the two most prominent names who volunteered for a card. And Carroll mentioned that despite circumstances and controversies surrounding both men, it’s not surprising that both have raised their hand — and that the two would be in consideration for such a unique event.
“It doesn’t surprise me that likes Jones and Connor are suddenly interested in in being there,” Carroll said. “I mean, Connor had a massive PR pop when he arrived in the White House on St. Patrick’s Day — and [that] kind of became the catalyst for this political career he’s embarking on. So, I mean it would be a huge, huge deal.”
While Carroll is more than skeptical of the idea, the Boys in the Back (Burks and Jackman) add that McGregor would bring a fitting boost to such a unique event, and that it would be a “perfect” time for him to fight Chandler — a fight that has been anticipated since 2023 before ultimately getting canceled in 2024.
As far as Jones goes if there is one fight to make, Carroll feels there’s “one f****** fight to make” despite the Jones-Aspinall negotiations falling through officially with Jones’ brief retirement stint, which promoted Aspinall to undisputed champion.
Debates went through the group, however, about if one of them should headline given their baggage, as well as McGregor not being an American (though Chandler is). It also sparks debate about what fighters (with Bo Nickal and Sean Strickland’s names thrown out there) could be on the card — and if the fighter selections would be based on name value, lack of controversy, etc. This also comes at a time where Kayla Harrison is the sole American champion in the UFC.
A question was brought up additionally about if the UFC would be willing to sacrifice a high-revenue making fight like a Jones vs. Aspinall or McGregor vs. Chandler for the sake of the press they’d get for such a unique, historical, and political event.
The PFL has undergone some major changes before the promotion hosts its first event of 2025. 2024 brought to light some big issues and criticism for the promotion which they are now looking to address for the year ahead.
On Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, it was announced that the Bellator brand is officially “dead”. There was a lot of scepticism regarding the PFL’s plans to integrate Bellator in order to have both names co-exist under one roof after the promotion was acquired towards the end of 2023.
Having the PFL’s season format continue alongside the Bellator Champions Series has created confusion for the fans and frustration for the fighters who aren’t being as active as they would like. PFL is looking to change this by removing the season-based format in place of a Grand Prix style tournament and by removing the Bellator brand entirely by integrating it all into a revised PFL system.
One of the first adjustments that was reported which pointed to the promotion heading in a new direction was the news that starting in 2025, the prize money for the winner of the tournaments would drop from $1 million to $500,000. Many assumed that this is because handing out six $1 million dollar cheques isn’t financially viable for the promotion anymore.
However, following the reports that the new tournament will consist of just eight competitors and that they will be more focused on up-and-coming talents rather than it being the ultimate end goal for fighters in the promotion (with PFL divisional titles set to be introduced), the drop in prize money makes sense. Ariel Helwani also stated during his update on the future of the promotion that cutting costs isn’t a major priority for the PFL based on what he has heard about their financial situation.
“When this first came out about the $1 million to 500,000, it felt like ‘Oh, this is a sign that they’re dead’. Now, I’m being told that like as far as finances are concerned, they’re in a good spot. They have great, sold investment, all that stuff and more. They’re not hurting for cash, this is just kind of a restructuring of how the promotion is laid out. I actually think it makes a ton more sense.”
Bellator, as we know it, is no more. You will not see any more Bellator events. Also, there are some changes being made to the structure of PFL.
Sean O’Malley will defend his UFC bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili to headline UFC 306 on September 14, 2024. Although the fight card looks like just another UFC PPV, fans can look forward to an unprecedented level of production quality during the live event and broadcast.
This is the first time UFC has rebranded a card based on a sponsor, (Riyadh Season) and UFC 306 is the most expensive event in the promotion’s history by far. It’ll take place at The Sphere in Las Vegas, and media members who got a sneak peek at the planned visual experience have mostly been blown away.
Ariel Helwani has now reiterated some interesting facts that should make Noche UFC 306 a memorable experience for fans around the world…
From Broadcast Quality To Haptic Seats, Riyadh Season Noche UFC Is Going To Break Several Traditions
Helwani took to Twitter to share some outstanding facts about UFC 306 and many things that live viewers and fans at home will experience for the first time.
Some interesting factoids about UFC 306 next weekend, per the promotion:
* This will be the first 1080p TV broadcast of a UFC event in ESPN history.
* First time UFC has ever used haptic seats during an event. Haptic seats provide force feedback based on the action in the…
The UFC, for the first time in history, will use haptic seats that will provide feedback based on the fight happening. The live audience can also listen to the entire event in Spanish and the fighters will be wearing unique kits designed for the Mexican heritage theme.
The Parking Lot A of Las Vegas’ Sphere will host a two-day experience for the fans but the exact details remain unknown yet.
Most importantly, the UFC has collaborated with a wide range of producers who’ve worked on huge sporting and entertainment shows such as Taylor Swift’s Eras tour and the Super Bowl. The crew for Riyadh Season Noche UFC has the following accolades:
A Grammy win and two nominations.
29 Emmy wins and 80 nominations.
Two Oscar nominations.
A Golden Globes Win and five nominations.
The promotion has also signed eight new Octagon girls for UFC 306 who should inaugurate rounds as usual. Unsurprisingly, all of them have Mexican roots.
For the fans watching from home, Riyadh Season Noche UFC will be the first ESPN-era UFC event to be broadcast on TV at 1080p. According to Jon Anik, the UFC has ensured that the at-home experience is commendable too.
They have gone to great lengths to make the at-home experience unbelievable!
It is safe to assume that UFC 306 has everything aligned to make it a groundbreaking sporting event. Now, fans worldwide only expect the fights to deliver as well.
Ariel Helwani has at last laid all the rumors to rest and revealed his new partnership with Yahoo Sports.
The acclaimed combat sports journalist announced last week that he had “decided to move on” from Vox Media and Spotify as his three-year contracts with both companies came to an end on Thursday. While Helwani admitted it was tough to decline the offers from his former employers, he remained tight-lipped about his next move.
Life update:
Goodbye Vox Media and Spotify. Thank you for three incredible years.
On Tuesday morning, Helwani announced his latest venture on X, partnering with Yahoo Sports to launch a brand new combat sports platform, encompassing MMA, boxing, and pro wrestling. The new platform, named Uncrowned, is set to cover all aspects of combat sports.
In a major update, Helwani also revealed the expansion of his show, now officially titled The Ariel Helwani Show. The Canadian journalist further disclosed that he will be taking on the roles of executive producer and executive editor, reclaiming full ownership of all his content and overseeing all operations.
“I’m extremely excited to announce that I am partnering with @yahoosports to launch a brand new combat sports vertical. MMA, boxing, pro wrestling. The works. The spot? http://uncrowned.com,” Helwani tweeted. “In addition, my show, now (finally) entitled “The Ariel Helwani Show,” is expanding. More days. More content. Same time. Same format. New NYC studio.”
Life update!
I’m extremely excited to announce that I am partnering with @yahoosports to launch a brand new combat sports vertical. MMA, boxing, pro wrestling. The works. The spot? https://t.co/2LvPT4yeHP. 👑
Helwani built his career at MMA Fighting and Fox Sports before making the jump to ESPN in 2018, coinciding with the network’s seven-year deal with the UFC. His relationship with the UFC has been tumultuous, notably when he was banned from covering the promotion after prematurely breaking the news of Brock Lesnar’s return at UFC 200 in July 2016.
Though UFC CEO Dana White initially imposed what was described as a “lifetime” ban, it was lifted just weeks later. However, tensions between White and Helwani have persisted, leading to several other clashes over the years.
Ariel Helwani recently floated the idea of online personality KSI (real name Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji) as the next potential opponent for Jorge Masvidal following his defeat to Nate Diaz in their boxing match.
This past Saturday, Masvidal came up short on the judges’ scorecards in a rematch of their Octagon clash from UFC 244 in November 2019. This time, the bout took place in a professional boxing ring, headlining a pay-per-view event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
After a showdown marked by intense, back-and-forth action, two of the three judges awarded the victory to Diaz with scores of 98-92 and 97-93. The third judge, however, saw it as a dead heat, scoring the fight a 95-95 draw.
Following the loss, the former BMF titleholder contended that he had done enough to secure the victory and claimed that the judges were prejudiced against him. Although Masvidal immediately called for a rematch, Diaz promptly dismissed this request during the post-event press conference.
“Gamebred” has previously mentioned that he has a three-fight contract with Fanmio, granting him the opportunity to pursue high-profile boxing matches. Considering Masvidal’s recent passion for the sweet science, it seems highly probable that he will seek a swift return to the squared circle.
While Helwani may not be an official matchmaker, he has an intriguing contender in mind for Masvidal’s comeback fight…
Helwani Sees KSI As Prime Matchup For Masvidal’s Next Boxing Bout
During a recent episode of The MMA Hour, Helwani explored potential opponents for Jorge Masvidal’s next boxing match, ultimately suggesting the possibility of pitting YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI against the former two-time UFC welterweight title challenger.
The Canadian combat sports journalist suggested that a fight with Masvidal would be significantly more intriguing than the scheduled 1 vs. 2 matchup against Slim Albaher and MMA veteran Anthony Taylor.
“I’ll tell you what, with all due respect, I would much rather see Jorge against KSI than KSI in this, you know, whatever, [1 vs.2],” Helwani said. “Actually, Jorge versus KSI is really interesting to me.”
Helwani further noted that the bittersweet past between Masvidal and KSI makes this matchup a more logical and compelling choice for both fighters.
“Remember, that was a thing that kind of happened a year and a half ago on the show, where they suggested it and they were kind of looking into it. I’m pretty sure KSI is on the okay list; you know, like, there’s this list that the UFC gave Jorge that he’s allowed to take fights with X, Y, and Z.”
Last July, in a conversation with Masvidal, Helwani broached the notion of arranging a boxing match with KSI. However, the 39-year-old Miami native swiftly dismissed any interest in squaring off against the British social media influencer.
The organization has granted him special permission to pursue boxing opportunities, and Masvidal has hinted at an inevitable return to the Octagon in the future.
Renowned combat sports reporter Ariel Helwani has further expanded on his firm criticism of Professional Fighters League executive Donn Davis.
Throughout the PFL’s existence, the promotion’s higher-ups gave pushed forth the idea that the SmartCage is the place to be for fighters who want to valued and treated fairly.
That notion, however, has taken a hit in 2024.
While the acquisition of Bellator MMA was advertised as the PFL going from strength to strength, the main topic of discussion in recent times has surrounded fighter complaints, particularly from some of those who crossed over as a result of the merger.
Both Gegard Mousasi and Douglas Lima have accused the promotion of keeping them sidelined due to the high figures on their contracts, with the former recently released as a result. Elsewhere, Sobah Homasi has bemoaned his struggle at getting reimbursed for medical bills, while both Larissa Pacheco and Cris Cyborg have spoken out about their struggle to secure a fight.
Most recently, the PFL’s “fighter-first” claim came into question after its founder and chairman opted to fire shots at one of his promotion’s all-time most successful fighters.
Weeks on from Kayla Harrison’s successful Octagon debut at UFC 300, Davis branded her a “follower who needs validation.” The comments drew significant backlash, with Helwani among the most vocal…
Helwani Tells Davis: Take A Page Out Of Coker’s Book!
During a recent interview with UFC legend and current ONE Championship titleholder Demetrious Johnson, Helwani expanded on his criticism of Davis’ remarks and explained why the NBA analogy he used to fire shots at Harrison made little sense.
“Don’t get me started on this. This is crazy to me. When I saw that — it’s so crazy to me on so many different levels,” Helwani said. “Number one, the analogy doesn’t even fit… First of all, LeBron (James) left Cleveland to go join Miami and create a super team, and thus he won two championships with Miami. Doesn’t really fit there. But he’s taking a shot at Kayla by saying Kayla is more Kevin Durant… (Saying) the only way Kevin Durant could win a championship is by joining this super power… The analogy doesn’t work for multiple reasons. Number one, Kayla Harrison had already won championships with PFL!
“Who’s the big fight (for Harrison in the PFL)? Larissa Pacheco (because) she beat her? Guess what, Kayla beat her twice! You want them to fight a fourth time? None of those fights drew a dime!… Cyborg? Okay, first of all, as of right this moment, Cyborg isn’t on the same page as the PFL and is openly complaining. There’s no guarantee that that fight would ever happen as well,” Helwani continued. “Now let’s compare that to the UFC, where you have a slew of new blood, a slew of new faces.”
Helwani went on to reveal that he’d exchanged texts with the PFL chief after posting a tweet criticizing his remarks about Harrison.
Although he didn’t divulge both sides of the conversation, the Canadian journalist outlined the message he tried to hammer home to Davis.
“I like Donn Davis a lot… (But) if you want to be known as the fighter-first organization, you can’t be taking shots at a two-time gold medalist, a two-time champion in your organization. You can’t be doing that,” Helwani stated. “You need to do what Scott Coker did when Michael Chandler left, who was the face of Bellator. ‘Good luck, we wish you the best, we’ll be rooting for you.’
“I had a bit of a text conversation with Donn after I tweeted this. I’m not gonna talk about what we talked about, but what I tried to explain to him — I’ll say what I said to him, I won’t say what he said to me — we can debate who’s tougher, Pacheco or (Holly) Holm, Cyborg or (Amanda) Nunes, but here’s what your missing: Kayla Harrison going from 155 to 135 (pounds) is a challenge greater than all these people combined. That’s the part that you’re missing! … That challenge alone is worth our respect. You have to recognize that, Donn. The fact that you’re not, to me, will only tell other fighters and fans, hey, maybe this guy doesn’t get it,” Helwani concluded.
Nevertheless, given the recent saga, it would appear that PFL has some work to do if it’s to convince the masses of its legitimacy as a fighter-first promotion.
Some fighter mis-info and half-info swirling today …
To be clear – we always honor all fighter contracts. Further, we aim to be fair, often beyond what legal requires.
Nobody gets exactly what they want all the time – different point than honoring contracts.
MMA reporter Ariel Helwani has responded to the backlash he has received for his controversial interview with Bryce Mitchell earlier this week.
On Monday’s installment of The MMA Hour, Bryce Mitchell came on the show two weeks out from his upcoming fight against Edson Barboza at UFC 272. Instead of talking about the fight or anything MMA-related, Mitchell shared his views on a wide range of topics.
The underlying theme of each topic was that Mitchell is willing to fight to the death to defend his freedom and that of others from government tyranny, such as forced vaccines or any possibility of the government trying to take away the right to bear arms. Mitchell also made other claims in the segment, including stating that many mass shootings in the United States are inside jobs in an attempt to ban guns.
The segment lasted for roughly half an hour and was the subject of some public criticism. As the host of the program and interviewer involved, Helwani took some flack for allowing the segment to continue for as long as it did.
Ariel Helwani Reacts To Backlash From Mitchell Interview
On his Substack page, Helwani addressed the fallout from the interview at length.
“In short, I don’t regret the way I handled it,” Helwani began. “A very small amount of people said I should have ended it earlier, and I can see their point, but that thought never really crossed my mind, to be honest.
“My main objective, once it was clear he didn’t want to talk MMA, was to show the audience that two people who don’t agree on any of this stuff can still shake hands (virtually) and walk away from the conversation with respect.
Bryce Mitchell
“Again, to be clear, I don’t agree with the vast majority of what he said. But I am also not really offended or persuaded by anything he said, either. It was so out there, how could I be? Honestly, I felt like he was doing a good job of his discrediting his theories on his own. I mean, when a cab driver in Vegas is your best source ….”
Helwani admitted that there were some things he wishes Mitchell had not said, though he did not specify which comments he was referring to. However, none of those things warranted silencing “Thug Nasty” from speaking unfiltered, which Helwani says his show is all about: providing a platform for the fighters to do and say as they please.
Helwani also noted that today’s online climate is toxic and divided enough as it is, so he felt it was important to show that there still can be civil discourse, even if two sides are standing on opposite sides of the aisle.
And even though the segment was far different from what was expected, he doesn’t hold any hard feelings toward Mitchell for going rogue.
“Am I mad at Bryce because it was very clear that this was intent when he agreed to come on the show? Not really. (And it is important to note that I asked him to come on, not vice versa. Of course, I invited him on to talk about his fight at UFC 272 against Edson Barboza, but alas.) I always try to see the good in people. Maybe that’s naive but I prefer to view people through that lens than to immediately dismiss and hate, which happens too often these days,” Helwani continued.
Ariel Helwani, Image Credit: Paige Bethmann, Vox Media
“I also don’t think he hijacked the show. I didn’t let him grab the mic. I felt like I was in control throughout. I enjoy the challenge of trying to steer a ship because, let’s be real, that could have been worse, believe it or not.”
Helwani went on to state that if he could go back and be placed in the same situation again, he wouldn’t handle it any differently. He also revealed that Mitchell texted him after the segment to show his gratitude.
“Would I do the same thing again? Yes. I didn’t endorse any of it, and I wasn’t rude to the guest,” Helwani continued. “Bryce texted me this afterwards:
‘Thank you for participating. I have so much respect for you bro. And I mean it when I said I will fight side by side with you when the next war comes. My brother.’
“I thought that was nice.”
How do you think Ariel Helwani should have handled the controversial Bryce Mitchell segment? Do you think he handled it well? Or is this all much ado about nothing?
Renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani recently looked back on his “beef” with Donald Cerrone, suggesting it has certainly been squashed on his side.
Throughout his rise from budding journalist to one of the most well-known names in the world of MMA media, Helwani has clashed with a host of individuals. From recent interactions with Brendan Schaub and Dillon Danis to a feud with UFC President Dana White, one which led to him being stripped of his UFC press credentials, the Canadian has had a prominent presence in the sport, even beyond his coverage of it.
One other name Helwani has got on the wrong side of is veteran “Cowboy” Cerrone. The incident that sparked animosity occurred at the start of 2019, almost a year prior to the welterweight’s main event clash with Conor McGregor.
At the time, the fight was only rumored. But while the Colorado native had made his desire to face the Irishman known, Helwani wanted to see more fire in his eyes and more of the “old Cowboy.”
During an interview with Chael Sonnen, Cerrone took exception to Helwani’s comments. In a profanity-ridden rant, “Cowboy” unloaded on the reporter, threatening to “fuck him up.”
“You know what else I wanna tell you? When you fucking run into Ariel again, you can just backhand that little bitch for me. If he ever talks about me again, I’m gonna fuck him up, for real… I just saw the little piece that somebody sent me with him talking… motherfucker if you wanna see fire in my eyes bitch, I’ll fucking show you next time I see you… Who the fuck are you behind your microphone motherfucker. Get in there and do something with your life… Next time Ariel wants to have me as a guest, fuck you pussy, you’re dead to me.”
Now three years on from the incident, Helwani has addressed where his relationship with Cerrone currently sits. During a recent episode of The MMA Hour, the Canadian reporter was asked whether the beef has been squashed. In response, Helwani gave a run-down of how his comments about “Cowboy” had been misinterpreted.
“Does he have beef with me still? Maybe, but I haven’t reached out to him. Do I have beef with him? No. Cowboy got mad at me because I said something before, I think it was the Conor fight, no, he was trying to get the Conor fight, and I was saying like, ‘Where’s the old Cowboy? We need the old Cowboy.’ I was basically trying to do the promo that Vince McMahon gave Stone Cold Steve Austin during the invasion in 2001, where he’s like, ‘We need the old Stone Cold! We need the old…’ And I was trying to do that. He looked at it the wrong way and got really mad and said some things.”
Helwani added that while he certainly has no animosity towards the UFC legend and believes the beef has been squashed on his side, he doesn’t know if the same can be said for Cerrone.
“I saw him in Chicago. I went up to him and he didn’t wanna talk to me, so, no beef here. Does he have beef? I don’t know. In my mind, it’s squashed. Life’s too short for this nonsense. Come on.”
I don’t think Cerrone landed a punch. Maybe one. That couldn’t have gone any better for McGregor.
In the months after Cerrone and Helwani’s feud, a fight between the American and McGregor was announced, and the pair headlined UFC 246 in January 2020. While Helwani called for the old Cerrone pre-fight, he was likely left wanting the old Cerrone post-fight.
Renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani has questioned the intention behind one of Joe Rogan’s questions during the post-fight interview with Francis Ngannou at UFC 270.
At the opening pay-per-view of 2022, the UFC Heavyweight Champion fought through an abundance of adversity to successfully defend his title for the first time. From his torn MCL and potential “irreversible” knee damage to his uncertain future with the UFC and possible looming free agency, “The Predator” wasn’t short of potential distractions.
But while his knee injury may have played on his mind during his struggles on the feet in the opening two rounds, the only thought in his head for the final three frames was victory. He secured that with a controlling display of wrestling, taking rounds three to five to secure a unanimous decision triumph.
In his Octagon interview with Rogan, there were a host of questions that could have been asked. One that some feel was perhaps out of place was a query about the champ’s desire to crossover to the boxing ring in the near future.
“Now, it was beautiful to see this evolution to your game and adding the grappling, but we’ve heard talk of you potentially boxing. Have you thought about doing that? What is your future plan? You obviously retained the title, it’s your option now what to do with your future?”
A dominant performance from your HW champ 👏🏆 #AndStill
While some put the question down to the pre-fight talk surrounding Ngannou’s hopes to face the likes of Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder inside the squared circle, one prominent name in the MMA industry has pondered whether it had a deeper meaning.
Having already slammed UFC President Dana White for his post-fight actions, which saw him choose not to put the belt on Ngannou or attend the presser, Helwani has now questioned whether Rogan’s post-fight interview was designed to trip up “The Predator.”
During a recent post on his Substack, Helwani pointed to the timing of the legal threat and Rogan’s subsequent boxing question after the fight, which he believes was out of place given the abundance of other intriguing queries he could have asked.
“So much to unpack from that interview, most of which I mentioned right after he signed off, but I’ll add this: when I was watching Joe Rogan interview Ngannou after the fight, I thought it was rather odd that he asked him a question about boxing,” Helwani wrote. “They never do that. Especially since there were, like, 50 other questions pertaining to the fight one could have asked (not to mention a follow-up on the knee injury).
“And then we find out about that legal e-mail they received on the night of the fight, and, well, I can’t help but wonder if Rogan was asked to ask that question to trip up Ngannou,” added Helwani. “Because, again, in the moment, it seemed really out of place, considering how they usually handle those situations. For those who don’t know, all broadcasters wear an earpiece (aka an IFB) so the producer can speak to them during the show, so it’s possible someone asked him to ask that.”
WOW Francis Ngannou just told @arielhelwani that he and his team got an email from the UFC as they were on their way to the Honda Center that they were going to be sued after having talks with Nakisa Bidarian who is Jake Paul's promoter about Boxing#TheMMAHour#UFC270
UFC President Dana White’s abrupt exit from the Honda Center following Francis Ngannou’s UFC 270 title retention did not go unnoticed by the spectating public.
Among the various observers of White leaving the arena without customarily wrapping the world title around Ngannou’s waist or taking part in the post-fight press conference were renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani and civil rights activist, journalist, and New York Times best-selling author Shaun King.
While MMA fans have grown accustomed to Helwani criticizing White and the UFC on various issues over the years, it is not every day that a social justice activist shares a strong commentary about the current happenings of the UFC.
However, after White conspicuously took no part in any post-fight festivities, King shared the following to his 3 million-plus social media followers.
“Something wildly disrespectful happened last night for the @UFC. 1. The @UFC account was ordered not to tweet a single highlight during the fight as they did every other fight. 2. Then @DanaWhite refused to put the belt on Ngannou and refused to attend the press conference,” King wrote.
King later embedded the above tweet in a follow-up post on Facebook, where he wrote: “It’s so ugly to see @danawhite and the @UFC treat the HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP OF THE WORLD this way. And @francisngannou is a GREAT guy. A hero all over the world.”
To King’s point, if one were to visit the UFC’s Twitter page, they would not find a single highlight from Ngannou’s victory over Gane. This is indeed a very strange, if not historic occurrence for a pay-per-view main event ever since the promotion began posting highlights to the page.
The running theory is that White’s behavior is due to the very tense contract negotiations between the UFC and Ngannou. Ngannou and his management have been quite public about their unhappiness with how the champion has been paid and promoted by the company.
Ariel Helwani Stunned By White’s Exit, Tyron Woodley Chimes In
Back around to MMA circles, Ariel Helwani also had something to add about one of the biggest talking points following the UFC 270 event.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZEz02yLZ6n/
“After all that, didn’t put the belt on and didn’t show up to the press conference. Remarkable. Respect to Francis for handling it all with class and grace,” Helwani wrote.
Among those to chime in under the post was none other than former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley.
“seen this before,” Woodley wrote.
Woodley is referring to White’s post-fight reaction when Woodley retained the welterweight title over Darren Till at UFC 228, a reaction that gave us the following timeless meme.
Many took notice of the similarities between White’s reaction to Ngannou’s win and Woodley’s 2018 victory over Till. In both cases, White declined to attend the post-fight press conference.
Several other notable figures had something to add in the comments section of Helwani’s Instagram post, including Quinton “Rampage Jackson” and Mark Hunt.
What are your thoughts on Dana White leaving the Honda Center without wrapping the world title around Francis Ngannou’s waist or taking part in the post-fight press conference?
This article was published on MMANews.com on January 24, 2022, at 12:00 PM ET.
The following article was published on this day five years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Five Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 23, 2017, 4:56 PM]
Headline: Tyron Woodley Talks Racism and Conor McGregor on The MMA Hour
Conor McGregor was among the topics in which Tyron Woodley vented his frustrations on Monday’s MMA Hour.
Author: Adam Haynes
Woodley has been vocal in recent times regarding what he deems to be a racial agenda in the UFC and sport as a whole. UFC’s welterweight champion has openly discussed what he feels is disrespect aimed at him by fans and the franchise.
‘T-Wood’ has recently declared himself “the worst treated champion in the history of the promotion” and further reinforced his opinion that skin color is a major factor in why he has not enjoyed the same spoils of fame and recognition that lighter-skinned fighters have had in the UFC:
“Certain things are subliminally embraced that are racist. When you say to me ‘Tyron, you are well spoken’, what does that mean? Does that mean I’m well-spoken comparable to all the mixed martial artists, the 500 UFC fighters on the roster? Or does that mean as a black male in America?”
The champion, who is preparing for a rematch with Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson at UFC 209 in March, also disapproves of those who use terms he feels are disrespectful to his skill-set:
“When you say I’m a freak athlete, does that mean I don’t work hard, that I’m going to fade in the later rounds? That I don’t have great cardio, that I don’t have a great skill set? It comes off to me…it almost sounds barbaric, like ‘hey, you’re strong, you knock people out, but if it gets to the later rounds you might get tired, you might fade and all those muscles come at a cost’.”
Woodley has made no secret in targeting Conor McGregor in the past, and touches upon his own podcast ‘The Champ Life’ which may be similar in format to that of ‘The Notorious’, but is in contrast when it comes to the message and material:
“I do my own podcast series. I go out and make my own opportunities but, if the person that’s promoting me and networks are talking about picking up my ‘Champ Life’ series and major companies want to endorse it and get behind it because they see value in it, I’m going to need for my promoter to not be the last one to take notice.”
“if it was [Mcgregor’s ‘the maclife’], that thing immediately took fire. And it’s same stuff every episode, flashy cars, money, talking crap, got this, got that; that’s all it is. I’m not seeing him giving back to the community and shelters. I’m not seeing him giving back to the people or networking with others. This one [The Champ Life] has an impact that can go far.”
Renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani has discussed the possibility of a mass departure of the UFC’s top stars taking place in the promotion this year.
With the success of celebrity boxing, among other factors, the sport of MMA has moved into a climate where fighter pay is at the forefront of the agenda.
Since then, however, the UFC has chosen to increase pay-per-view prices and keep the lesser-regarded fighters in the promotion on as low as $12,000 per fight.
With the UFC also distributing one of the lowest percentages of its profits to its athletes among the top sports leagues and companies in the United States, it’s no surprise some stars believe they’re owed more, both in terms of money and treatment.
Still, despite the criticism on the matter, White maintains the debate is as simple as ‘it’s only bad if you lose’.
In recent months and years, we’ve seen the likes of Jon Jones express their dismay at the money they’re receiving. In response to Jones requesting more remuneration to face Francis Ngannou in what would have arguably been one of the biggest fights in history, the UFC seemingly abandoned plans for the showdown, leading to Jones spending the entirety of 2021 on the sidelines.
The last I spoke with @UFC about my salary there was no negotiating. If that ever changes, i’d love to come back and compete again as a heavyweight. Until then, I’ll be enjoying Ufc has a fan and doing my best to take care of my family and community https://t.co/NoTTpRTMH0
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that talk of a number of stars moving into free agency instead of signing new contracts has hit the surface. This year, we could see Ngannou, Israel Adesanya, Nate Diaz, and Conor McGregor all complete the final bouts on their active deals.
In a recent episode of The MMA Hour, host Helwani discussed the possibility of those names choosing to test the waters of free agency rather than re-sign with the UFC.
“That’s another interesting story to follow in 2022, Israel Adesanya’s contract. Not quite at the point of Nathan (Diaz’s), I think there’s a couple (fights) left, but that’s an interesting one to follow. Could you imagine in 2022, we are facing a potential scenario where Izzy might reach the end of his contract, Diaz reaches the end of his contract, Conor McGregor reaches the end of his contract, Francis Ngannou reaches the end of his contract. Think about that for a second. Think about how big those names are. Think about the power that they have. It could be fascinating times.”
As Helwani later pointed out, the UFC usually re-signs its fighters before they reach the final appearance on their contracts. While the unranked Charles Jourdain recently dipped his toes into the market before choosing to sign another UFC deal, Helwani questioned the impact it would have if the biggest stars in the promotion chose to follow suit.
“The brilliance of the UFC is they don’t let the fighters get to the end because they know they wanna lock them up before they get to the end, before they’re able to test those waters, those free-agent waters. But what if they want to? What if they play their cards right and they get to the point where they can? Fascinating times.”
Ngannou Could Depart The UFC If He Loses At UFC 270
The biggest contractual story in the UFC right now surrounds the status of UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou. Remarkably, “The Predator” is heading into a blockbuster unification title fight against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 with a possible departure from the promotion looming.
If Ngannou loses on January 22, he will be out of contract and free to take his power elsewhere. If he wins, he’ll be contractually obliged to defend the title again.
With an increasing number of fighters now questioning their pay and contracts in comparison to the likes of YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, one of the promotion’s top champions potentially about to fight out his deal, and a number of the UFC’s top stars one or two fights away from a similar situation, will we see a new tone set in regards to testing free agency before re-signing? Only time will tell.
Do you think we could see some UFC stars fight out their contracts and explore free agency in the near future?
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