It looks like one of MMA’s most prominent journalists and on-air personalities has split from his position with UFC on FOX.
Ariel Helwani, the longtime host of MMA Fighting’s The MMA Hour and a prominent member of the UFC on FOX broadcast team as well as FOX Sports 1’s ‘UFC Tonight,’ announced on Twitter today (Wed., March 23, 2016) that he has parted ways with UFC on FOX in an amicable split.
Helwani said he holds no ill will towards FOX and will continue on with his full-time job as an integral member of MMAFighting.com:
I wanted to let you know that I’ve parted ways with the UFC on FOX. That means I’ll no longer be appearing on UFC Tonight, as well as the event coverage on FS1.
It’s been an honor and a privilege to cover the sport for FOX. I was one of the first on-air MMA people hired back in 2011, and I met some wonderful people along the way. I hope to work with some them again at some point. I thank everyone involved for the opportunity.
But I’m completely at peace with this decision and believe it’s for the best.
While working at FOX was great, it was always a part-time job. My full-time job since 2009 has been working for MMAFighting.com. Nothing has changed there. The MMA Hour will air on Monday, The MMA Beat tomorrow … all status quo. I humbly believe that I am a part of the best team in the business, working for the best bosses in the business.
Anyway, perhaps I’ll talk about this more on Monday’s show.
For now, thanks to all of you, the amazing fans of this great sport, for your incredible support since the beginning of my career. I do not take it for granted, and it sincerely means the world to me. Thank you for always watching/listening/reading.
As Jay-Z once said, on to the next one …
Ariel
No reasoning was given for Helwani’s departure from the network, and no word has arrived if his breaking of the rumored Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor rematch as the main event of UFC 200 has anything to do with it.
As he revealed in his statement, perhaps that will be discussed during the next episode of The MMA Hour this Monday.
Regardless, Helwani has been a thorough, descriptive, informative, and engaging reporter, which is made clearly evident by his many awards in his nearly five years working with UFC on FOX, and he will obviously continue to do so at MMA Fighting, so we at LowKick MMA wish him nothing but the best in all of his future endeavors.
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