UFC bans Helwani

[seanz25]

I don't have an opinion either way but is Helwani leaking this stuff not pretty much the same as when a football transfer gets leaked? Still lot's of money involved in that, from transfer fees to marketing.

[chokeout]

Helwani isn't leaking anything. He's announcing things he's found out and verified. Even if that information was from a mole (which would be a single source and go against what he said last night about insisting on multiple sources) its the mole that's at fault, not Helwani. 

[Carbomb]

Rogan's talking a load of shit, at least in terms of trying to justify this action.

 

Helwani's a journalist, simple. His reputation is built on being able to access information on developments in MMA that no-one else outside the promotions can. In order to be competitive, he needs to demonstrate he can do that, and this was a big scoop for him.

 

From the converse perspective, maybe he had to consider that, if he didn't report it, it might diminish his reputation slightly as a journalist, or that his source might not be so willing to provide further info in future. And what if he'd paid for the info? For that kind of information, he might have had to pay top dollar, and perhaps didn't want to risk wasting the money by not using it.

 

Whatever the reason, as has been stated already: the fault lies with the mole, not Helwani.

[d-d-d-dAz]

I think Rogans point is that Helwani did his job as a journalist, but as a private company the UFC have to protect their interests as they see fit. First, yeah find out who the mole is and second, if they feel they have a problem with a particular journalist they can absolutely refuse to give them free access to their events.

 

Just because you are a journalist doesn't mean you Are entitled to privileged access.

 

I happen to think they made a mistake, and invited criticism, but Rogans right to say that the UFC are free to try and protect their interests.

[jimufctna24]

Rogan gets a few things wrong

 

- There might be a mole inside the UFC, but that was not Helwani's only source. Helwani claims he checked it from both sides. Strangely, Rogan acknowledges this later in the interview. 

 

- Helwani had no prior knowledge that the UFC were going to make the announcement on the show. In fact, it was FWB who leaked that while the show was in progress. If their is a mole, it's not just Helwani who's picking up information from them.

 

- The UFC have the right to protect their interests. However, the way they went about it on Saturday night was out of order. Telling someone their career is over, and removing other individuals out of spite, was just unnecessary.

[David]

The onus should be on the people telling Helwani, not Helwani himself. 

 

The UFC should have looked inwards before grabbing him and some other journos to intimidate and take their anger out on.

[lambyUK]

The onus should be on the people telling Helwani, not Helwani himself. 

 

The UFC should have looked inwards before grabbing him and some other journos to intimidate and take their anger out on.

 

Exactly.

 

I still can't believe they were that petty to do it during the actual fights. Instead of focusing on what was turning out to be an incredible card, you have the president running around the back red faced chucking reporters out of the building. It's crazy how amateur the whole thing was.

 

What's annoying is that I worry what Helwani came out with during his show is all going to swept under the rug. Absolutely nothing is going to change with the way they conduct business. 

 

The guy has even come out admitting that staff got physical with him for seemingly doing his job in the past. There should be repercussions but nothing will happen.

 

I'm actually a little disappointed Ariel wants to continue giving the coverage that he does. I was watching Brendan Schaub and he was saying he should just stop doing the pre and post fight interviews that he does, and just increase the output of his shows. Continue interviewing fighters on his show and increase his output that way.

 

I actually wish he did this.

[David]

I've said it before, even when everyone thought Dana and co were the greatest thing going, but the sooner he's gone from the UFC the better. He's taken the company as far as they can go, and if they really want to move forward they need a President with a bit more business savvy who knows how to deal with athletes who are making millions of dollars.

 

White was fine when it was guys who were just happy to be there fighting and would happily accept any shit offered.

 

His time has passed, and he needs to take his money and fuck off.

[ColinBollocks]

It's a fair point, David. Who knows in 10/20 years we'll look back at the Zuffa years as we do the Art Davie years. With fondness and with amazement at how the sport has grown up and changed for the better.

 

Helwani made the point on his first Rich Eisen interview that the sport, while hugely successful, is still in it's infancy; comparing it to 1920s football with the leather helmets. 50 years from now it will be interesting to see what the UFC looks like.

[Egg Shen]

President with a bit more business savvy

 

considering where he's taken the UFC and that he has the backing of a couple of billionaire businessmen (friends or not) i still find it hard to question Dana's business dealings, he clearly knows what hes doing. He may make mistakes and you might disagree with a few things but he clearly knows business.

[David]

 

President with a bit more business savvy

considering where he's taken the UFC and that he has the backing of a couple of billionaire businessmen (friends or not) i still find it hard to question Dana's business dealings, he clearly knows what hes doing. He may make mistakes and you might disagree with a few things but he clearly knows business.

 

Let's be honest, Ebb. If Dana wasn't friends with the Fertitta's there zero chance someone of his experience and qualifications would be in that job.

 

Also, yeah, he knows what he's doing to an extent, but the sport is outgrowing him.

 

Case in point the McGregor fiasco. I'm not Conor's biggest fan, and as a non-businessman I'd have done the same thing as Dana, but if you ask yourself how someone who's perhaps been a general manager of an NFL or NBA franchise would have handled it, would it have resulted in the same outcome? Of course not.

 

The very idea of binning a huge money-making fight and going against your MVP was fucking ridiculous from a business viewpoint, as much as I got a laugh at it personally.

 

A real professional sports President would never have allowed things to escalate to that level. It simply wouldn't have been allowed to happen. Christ, Scott fucking Coker wouldn't have allowed it to happen!

 

Dana's way of doing things were fine when it was a fringe sport and the fighters were just happy to be there. 

 

Dealing with guys who're making millions of dollars like Conor is, and athletes who have sports agents and managers, who have sponsorships and endorsements? You need to be someone of a certain level, and Dana's not that guy.

 

It's obvious that as the sport grows he makes more & more mistakes, so yeah, in my opinion it's a case of "thanks Dana, you did a great job, but it's time to move on"

[METAL ON METAL]

Fully agree with that David, and this is coming from someone who used to be a staunch Dana supporter.

 

How can anyone trust or even have respect for someone who announces someone is 'banned for life/will never be back whilst I'm here', only to un-ban them hours later.

It's not the first time one of his threats for life has been rescinded after a short time and I'm sure it won't be the last, but what it does accomplish is making him look like a tit and not a one whose words actually have validity.

[jimufctna24]

I don't think MMA has the scope to get much bigger. That's not a knock. During its optimum boom periods (2009-2010, and 2015-2016) the numbers are impressive. In terms of PPV buys, they draw better than pro wrestling has ever done, and in an era where internet streams are readily available. They can also draw some impressive attendance figures, and in a variety of countries. 

 

Zuffa make mistakes. Sometimes terrible ones. But they are the only company that's done a viable job of promoting MMA on a large scale for a vast amount of time. I don't like Dana as a person, but in many ways, he's really good at his job. I've always got the feeling that whoever takes over the UFC, will miss the mark. I can imagine it being marketed as a pure sport, with little pageantry to it. As was proven from 2011-2013, a no-nonsense MMA promotion has limited appeal. You need a bit of luck that you get a McGregor or Rousey, and the awareness to promote them properly. 

[Egg Shen]

i just find it weird to knock the business sense of a guy who's achieved so much.

[jimufctna24]

i just find it weird to knock the business sense of a guy who's achieved so much.

And in a business where so many others have failed.