UFC bans Helwani

[lambyUK]

Watching the MMA hour has brought a horribly sick feeling to my stomach. If the ufc don't put this right I honestly will start to question what the fucking point of watching this company is.

 

What does it represent if this is how they want to run things?

[Supremo]

I'll obviously miss him, he's been the best by far for as long as I can remember, but I sincerely hope he moves on and covers another sport. Watching how upset he was, he's clearly too good for this sport.

[d-d-d-dAz]

Shame that Dana and Vince are good buddies, I'd have loved to have seen them bring Ariel into WWE doing backstage interviews, with an 'intrepid reporter' gimmick where big PPV announcements are done in segments with him, as opposed to dull in-ring segments.

[jimufctna24]

 

Regarding the "physical" altercation that Helwani touched upon. Now, FWB isn't the gospel, but he's been accurate as of late. 

 

3 hours ago

 FrontRowBrian ‏@FrontRowBrian  3h

Ariel asked Chuck Liddell if he would fight Jon Jones. UFC security pushed him against a wall and choked him. UFC 172 weekend. Jones Glover

 

FrontRowBrian ‏@FrontRowBrian  3h3 hours ago

The person that roughed up Ariel is allegedly one of the bodyguards for Dana. Thrown against a wall and choked.

[seanz25]

This will be resolved IMO. To big a loss for both parties. Time will heal things.

[Art Vandelay]

ESPN's Rachel Nichols with her take on this: https://twitter.com/Rachel__Nichols/status/739589064698003456

 

Ouch! This is only going to snowball for the UFC.

[wandshogun09]

I haven't even watched the MMA Hour yet but just reading you lots' comments here, it'll be a travesty if MMA loses Helwani to another sport. How do you take someone who loves and lives the sport like Helwani clearly does, and make it so he wants to leave the sport he's so passionate about and so good at covering.

 

No-one does what he does. Can you picture Megan Olivi going to Albuquerque to walk around with Jon Jones? I actually can and it'd be fucking shit and full of soft ball questions. I was still holding out hope that we'd get another 'walk around ________' in depth interview with Helwani going to Stockton to interview Nick and/or Nate Diaz. And I honestly think Helwani's the only one who could pull that off properly. In fact, he might be the only one who Nick would let do it. I can't see Nick walking about with Jeff Wagenheim and his grandad patter and loud Hawaiian shirts. Nothing against Wagenheim, just can't see it. Or fucking Karyn Bryant, can you imagine her bringing out the absolute best in Bisping the way Ariel has in their interviews? Me neither. There are plenty of really good MMA journalists about - Ben Fowlkes, Luke Thomas, Marc Raimondi, Josh Gross, Mike Chiapetta, Chuck Mindenhall etc. Just to name a few. But they're a good at different things. Some of them are better at the written side of journalism (Chiapetta and Mindenhall). None of them are as good at the actual interviewing fighters face to face thing, as Helwani is. And none of them have the kind of rapport with certain fighters like Helwani does now. You can see how guys like Matt Serra, Michael Bisping, even Conor McGregor and the Diaz brothers, have warmed to Helwani over the years. You won't get quite the same openness from fighters in interviews with any other MMA media member IMO. And the thing is, most of the alternative good journalists I've named there...they also work for MMAFighting.com, so they're out as well.

 

It really is fucking ridiculous. An MMA reporter reports something. His information isn't bullshit and turns out to be spot on. Not only that, if anything it generates more interest in the show and the company as a whole. And the UFC react as if he burst into their house, dropped his kegs and shat in their Christmas dinner. The punishment doesn't fit the 'crime' at all.

[jimufctna24]

I've just watched the whole thing. I drifted in and out a bit, as he covered so much in the 2 hours. The general theme is that he's had all sorts of issues with the UFC and FOX over the years, and he's really taken it to heart. No one at FOX or the UFC have shouted his corner over various issues. Such as when certain fighters have taken the hump with him (Rampage/Rousey) I'm not going to claim that Helwani is a complete saint, but he raises a good point about his practices. They maintain a level of decency and accuracy. His defence against the UFC's accusations was more than reasonable.

 

I think the UFC have gone too far here, and have put themselves in a difficult position. The final 5 minutes of the show were difficult to watch. Helwani was a right state with tears flowing down his face. Earlier in the show, Helwani said that Dana had said some very personal things to him on Saturday night, and that he didn't want to go into detail. While he was rattled in the closing moments, I suspect he leaked some of those comments. "To be told your career is over" and something along the lines of "we will do everything we can to see to that" were the two that really stood out.

 

The UFC have done some questionable things in the past, and probably worse things than this, but they've abused the wrong person this time around. Helwani bloody loves MMA. He's not someone who's going to drift off into the night. Even though he was a mess during the interview, he still managed to defiantly claim that he wasn't going anywhere. He also has far too much respect within the industry and amongst fans for this to blow over. The main difference between the two parties is one has a much higher moral high ground. One side knows how to maintain a level of decency, while the other (Dana and Co) think that threatening and roughing people up is reasonable behaviour. 

 

Helwani said it best that we shouldn't be talking about this. The UFC is on a role at the moment, with tons going on. Yet, their inability to not act like The Sopranos has left most with a bitter taste in their mouths.

[Widdy85]

Dana has told TMZ that Ariel can buy tickets to events but he will never get credentials as long as he is still president.

 

Brock also denies any knowledge of this incident saying he doesn't do Twitter.

[jimufctna24]

Brock also denies any knowledge of this incident saying he doesn't do Twitter.

That's another thing. Helwani says he touched base with those close to Lesnar, and found that he didn't care about the news being leaked. This was one of a few instances mentioned where the UFC outright lied. 

[Egg Shen]

I need to watch the MMA Hour, but are the UFC preventing Ariel from having UFC guests on his show also?

[lambyUK]

I need to watch the MMA Hour, but are the UFC preventing Ariel from having UFC guests on his show also?

I've just got to the end of the show and there's no mention of that. However I wouldn't put it past the ufc to do that.

 

It really is a tough watch and I honestly think we've seen the last of Helwani's pre and post fight media interviews. If this is a case then it's truly sad. If it weren't for that interview with Bisping prior to Saturday I honestly wouldn't have given a flying fuck about that fight. He did more for that fight than any shitty promo the ufc made.

 

It's an extraordinary watch as Ariel even admits that he had a feeling things were coming to an end. He even got bollocked for that brilliant Nate interview he did last week.

 

I think he's revealed too much now for it to be possible to go back but if he didn't reveal all this his integrity would have been questioned. He was in no win situation.

 

It's left a truly sour taste in my mouth.

[buba3d]

from what he's saying about the bollockings and threats from dana and dana's security, its sounding more more likely that they where trying to find away to get rid of him.

 

feel sorry for the guy trying to do his job.

[chokeout]

Just finished watching. It was a hard watch and you have to feel for him. Essentially trying to blackball someone at his level because he doesn't tow the company (he doesn't actually work for) line is just stupid.

If UFC do try and stop fighters being interviewed by him I'd put money on a Diaz or McGregor doing it as a mini fuck you to Dana.

[jimufctna24]

A new statement from the UFC.

 

The LA Times has reported that the bolded includes Helwani. I expected the UFC to cave in, but not this quickly. Justice is served, but the UFC still come out of this with a black eye. 

 

Following a conversation with the editorial team at SB Nation, UFC will not prevent MMAFighting.com from receiving media credentials to cover live UFC events. We respect the role the media plays in our sport and beyond, including MMAFighting’s ability to report news. However, in our opinion, we believe the recurring tactics used by its lead reporter extended beyond the purpose of journalism. We feel confident our position has now been adequately communicated to the SB Nation editorial team.

UFC’s goal as the world’s leading mixed martial arts promotion is to cultivate interest in its world-class athletes and events, and deliver for the fans. We will continue to introduce this sport and its athletes to new fans across the world, and we will do so by working alongside media across all platforms.