A HUGELY SUCCESSFUL and entertaining UFC 199 event last night has been somewhat overshadowed by a seemingly petty and spiteful decision by Ultimate Fighting Championship officials to issue a life ban from its events to Ariel Helwani.
The Canadian reporter, who works for MMAFighting.com where he hosts The MMA Hour, is widely regarded as the leading journalist in mixed martial arts and is respected greatly by his peers in the sport, from fellow journalists to fighters.
Helwani’s extensive network of connections is often reflected in his ability to break big stories, but that has now resulted in him being censured by MMA’s biggest organisation.
In the aftermath of last night’s main event in Inglewood — which saw Michael Bisping crowned UFC middleweight champion following a stunning upset of Luke Rockhold — Helwani took to Twitter and explained that he, along with MMAFighting.com colleagues Esther Lin and E Casey Leydon, had been removed from the LA Forum before the final fight of the night.
“I was escorted out of the building by Zuffa staff before the main event,” said Helwani. “Credential taken away, too. Didn’t see Bisping realise his dream. I love this sport and this job with all my heart. Did nothing unethical. I reported fight news. That’s it. And then told we’re banned for life.”
Earlier in the evening, Helwani reported two significant stories. Firstly, that the rematch between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor had been set for UFC 202 on 20 August. The second report was of a sensational return to MMA for former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar on 9 July at UFC 200.
During last night’s UFC 199 broadcast, both reports were confirmed via official announcements by the UFC. The TV coverage showed Diaz sitting cageside beside UFC president Dana White as his second bout with McGregor was finally set, while Lesnar’s return was officially revealed at the end of an elaborate promo video.
Helwani had done his job and done it well, accurately reporting news that the UFC later confirmed. But the organisation weren’t happy that he had beaten them to the punch, hence his unceremonious removal from the arena.
MMA journalists are sometimes castigated and accused of giving the UFC an easy ride out of fear of being blacklisted. Helwani now joins a list of journalists which includes Josh Gross, Jeff Sherwood and Loretta Hunt in falling victim to the UFC’s attempts to keep a vice-like grip on media output relating to the organisation.
Dana White and co have fostered an us-against-them approach when it comes to the media and this is the most high-profile manifestation of that yet. In spite of past accusations of broadcasting UFC propaganda, Helwani has often encountered the wrath of Dana White.
However, any suggestions that Helwani is no more than a UFC spokesman can now firmly be put to bed. In addition to last night’s incident, Helwani lost his job with FOX Sports — a broadcast partner of the UFC — in March, seemingly due to the conflict of interest involved in his role as a journalist with MMAFighting.com, stemming from discussions on The MMA Hour about free agency and out-of-contract fighters moving to other organisations instead of renewing their UFC contracts.
As the news of Helwani’s removal from the arena emerged last night, the remaining journalists prepared to quiz Dana White about the decision in the post-fight press conference. But White didn’t show up, instead sending Dave Sholler, the UFC’s vice president of public relations, to the front lines — as is often the case when tricky questions are imminent. As expected, Sholler refused to discuss the issue when asked about it by MMAjunkie’s John Morgan.
The UFC’s treatment of Helwani, who has received widespread support from across the MMA community today, has been counter-productive. They’ve shot themselves in the foot by ensuring that media airtime that should have been devoted to Michael Bisping, Brock Lesnar, Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor is now being taken up by a journalist. The incident will also only serve to increase Helwani’s profile and standing even further.
Over the course of his 10-year involvement in the sport, the breadth of Helwani’s contacts has spread wider than any other journalist. If the UFC wishes to prevent the media from getting a headstart on big announcements, their starting point should be the sources of the leaks, not journalists who are doing as journalists should do — extensively investigating the authenticity of stories and reporting them once they’ve done so.
As the UFC has grown in places like Ireland in recent years, Helwani has contributed significantly. His style, work ethic and approach helps to bring legitimacy to a previously peripheral sport which has historically struggled to receive mainstream acceptance.
And while the drawn-out media speculation and rumours can often be irritating and tedious, it generates discussion among fans which builds anticipation and increases interest. However, the UFC appears to possess a different outlook.
Their message here to the professionals who deliver their product to a worldwide audience is that doing your job to the best of your ability will be rewarded with a decision that prevents you from continuing to do that job.
‘Helwani Nose’ is a light-hearted phrase which has become associated with MMAFighting.com’s most prominent reporter over the years. Last night, the UFC cut off its nose to spite its face.
