MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani spoke out Sunday after he tweeted during UFC 199 on Saturday night that the UFC had pulled his credential and banned him for life.
In an email to Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch, Helwani offered his side of the story:
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MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani spoke out Sunday after he tweeted during UFC 199 on Saturday night that the UFC had pulled his credential and banned him for life.
In an email to Sports Illustrated‘s Richard Deitsch, Helwani offered his side of the story:
We were escorted out of the arena before yesterday’s main event. In short, I was told I was banned for life from covering UFC events in person because I reported the news that Brock Lesnar was close to signing a deal to fight at UFC 200. Our credentials were physically taken away. That’s the general story. They said I should have had the “professional courtesy” to clear the news with them before reporting the news. I had confirmed it with multiple sources and it ended up being right. They confirmed it on the broadcast around 3 hours after I reported it. This has never happened to any of us. Never even hinted at. I went back to my room. Esther and Casey are the very best at what they do. I would argue the best in all of sports. I’ve been working with them since 2009 and I wish this didn’t happen to them as well.
Helwani added on Twitter that he’ll provide a further explanation Monday.
A number of his colleagues were critical of the UFC on social media in the aftermath of Helwani’s reported ban. The Vertical’s Chris Mannix called for a journalistic boycott:
ESPN’s Rachel Nichols believes the story should concern UFC fans as a whole:
According to Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden, the tactic reportedly used against Helwani is well-known to those who cover the sport:
Snowden also worries about the message the UFC has sent regardless of whether it ever lifts Helwani’s reported ban:
Jon Jones and Chris Weidman were among the fighters who tweeted their support for Helwani:
The organization has yet to provide a detailed explanation for why it had the writer escorted out of the building at UFC 199.
In a statement to the media, UFC spokesman Dave Sholler said Helwani’s version isn’t “wholly accurate” and that his story reporting Lesnar’s return to the UFC wasn’t the sole reason for his removal, per the Los Angeles Times‘ Lance Pugmire.
After plenty of posturing by all parties involved, the UFC confirmed Saturday night Conor McGregor will return to the Octagon for a rematch with Nate Diaz, per UFC commentator Jon Anik.
The two will fight at UFC 202 on August 20.
McGregor and Dia…
After plenty of posturing by all parties involved, the UFC confirmed Saturday night Conor McGregor will return to the Octagon for a rematch with Nate Diaz, per UFC commentator Jon Anik.
The two will fight at UFC 202 on August 20.
McGregor and Diaz originally fought at UFC 196, with Diaz submitting the featherweight champion in the second round.
They were originally supposed to fight at UFC 200, but McGregor threw a wrench into those plans when he tweeted on April 19 that he was retiring. In a lengthy Facebook post two days later, he explained he had had a disagreement with the UFC over his pay and promotional obligations, leading to his sudden departure.
With neither McGregor nor the UFC budging in the dispute, a fight between McGregor and Floyd Mayweather became a possible outcome. Mayweather even went so far as to make a fake poster hyping up the bout:
But MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani reported Saturday evening the UFC was working with McGregor and Diaz to get a rematch done.
Considering the amount of money involved, the two fighters were bound to hash out their differences. UFC President Dana White said on ESPN Radio’s Max & Marcellus (via MMA Fighting’s Dave Meltzer) that UFC 196 registered 1.5 million pay-per-view buys, and Meltzer noted the event likely produced more revenue for the UFC than any to date.
A rematch between Diaz and McGregor could potentially bring in even more money, and even if UFC 202 simply matches UFC 196’s buy rate, it’ll be a massive financial success for the company.
After he reignited his professional wrestling career, Brock Lesnar’s days in UFC looked to be over, but the 38-year-old may be nearing a return to the Octagon.
Continue for updates.
Lesnar Working on Agreement to Fight at UFC 200
Saturday, June …
After he reignited his professional wrestling career, Brock Lesnar‘s days in UFC looked to be over, but the 38-year-old may be nearing a return to the Octagon.
Continue for updates.
Lesnar Working on Agreement to Fight at UFC 200
Saturday, June 4
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani first reported Lesnar was in discussions with the UFC about a fight at UFC 200 on July 9 in Las Vegas. Bleacher Report’s Patrick Wyman confirmed the story with a source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Lesnar hasn’t fought in the company since losing to Alistair Overeem in December 2011. He retired from the UFC after the defeat.
In the years since, the former UFC heavyweight champion made occasional appearances in WWE after working out a part-time contract with the wrestling company. The deal allowed Lesnar to make a healthy income without having to hit the road for 300 days every year.
It looked like Lesnar closed the door on the UFC when he agreed to a contract extension with WWE in March 2015. In an interview with the Associated Press’ Greg Beacham, he explained his decision:
The fighter in me wants to continue, but at this stage in my life, it ain’t just about me anymore. You put your pride to the side. You hug your wife and your kids. I’m a 37-year-old man, and some days I feel like I’m 80, just with all the things I’ve experienced, all the things I’ve done. I feel fortunate about it. It’s like, what else can I do? Why go backward?
While Lesnar‘s UFC return would be a surprise, it’s not an unforeseen development. In an episode of Stone Cold Steve Austin’s podcast in October 2015, Lesnar said he was close to coming back in the past (via Fox Sports’ Damon Martin):
It wasn’t a bluff. I felt robbed by diverticulitis. I felt robbed by being sick. I was feeling good and it took me a couple years to start feeling good. I’m at home, I’m working out, my life is great, everything’s in tune, my contract’s coming to an end with WWE, hey it’s been a great time but something’s missing.
I started a training camp. I wanted to test myself and see where I was, not more physical, but mentally. I wanted to see the mental challenges that it was going to take. If your head’s not in the game, the last place you want to get into is in the Octagon.
Anybody who’s seen Lesnar‘s work in WWE the last few years is aware he remains in great shape. He’ll have some rust once he gets into the Octagon again, but conditioning won’t be an issue.
After Conor McGregor’s sudden departure from the event, which Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier now headline, getting Lesnar on the UFC 200 card would help replace some lost star power.
Even with Anderson Silva’s removal, UFC 198 is shaping up to be a massive show, and everything will build to Fabricio Werdum’s UFC Heavyweight Championship defense against Stipe Miocic.
Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole reported Tuesday that Silva may need gall…
Even with Anderson Silva’s removal, UFC 198 is shaping up to be a massive show, and everything will build to Fabricio Werdum’s UFC Heavyweight Championship defense against StipeMiocic.
Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole reported Tuesday that Silva may need gall bladder surgery and is thus unavailable for Saturday’s event in Curitiba, Brazil. The pay-per-view still isn’t lacking for star power, especially with Cristiane Justino making her UFC debut and Werdum and Miocic headlining the card.
“I am aware of how tough [Miocic] is and how hungry he is to get my belt,” Werdum said, per MMAjunkie’s Christian Stein. “I’m training to avoid that. I want to play my game and do all the right things.”
Miocic is often a man of few words, and he didn’t need a long monologue to make his point ahead of Saturday’s fight.
“Definitely, he’s got a black belt, and he uses it well,” he said of Werdum, per FoxSports.com’s Elias Cepeda. “But it gets harder to do jiu-jitsu when you get punched in the face.”
Although Curitiba isn’t exactly a close drive from his hometown of Porto Alegre, Brazil, Werdum will enjoy something of an advantage with a partisan Brazilian crowd behind him. The 38-year-old has fought twice in his home country under the UFC banner and won on both occasions. Neither bout went past the second round.
“It was cool to see 440 happy faces,” Werdum said at a seminar in Curitiba,” per Sherdog’s Marcelo Alonso. “Imagine next Saturday. It will be 100 times more. As I said, Miocic will fight [45,000] Werdums.”
Miocic said fighting in enemy territory doesn’t faze him, however, per the Plain Dealer‘s Dennis Manoloff: “I’ve been in this type of situation. It seems like I’m always fighting in somebody’s backyard. I fought a Brazilian guy in Brazil, a New Zealand guy in Australia, a European guy in the U.K. I’ll fight anybody, anytime, anywhere. I embrace the challenge. The crowd’s not in the cage; Werdum is.”
Werdum’s walk to the Octagon alone might be worth the cost of buying the pay-per-view.
“My entrance is going to be amazing. I’m going to do something special,” he said, per UFC.com’s E. Spencer Kyte. “It’s going to be very emotional and very beautiful. It will be a huge surprise.”
Prediction
Miocic is the superior striker, and he could easily end this fight in the first or second round. Ten of his 14 wins have come by way of knockout. The 33-year-old won’t be afraid to take the fight right to Werdum from the opening bell.
Bleacher Report’s Patrick Wyman explained why Miocic can be such a tough opponent:
The Ohio native is mostly a boxer on the feet. He pumps a sharp jab at range as he circles and angles with technically sound footwork, and often follows with a long right hand. His left hook is most dangerous as a counter and he mixes in the occasional uppercut, but for the most part he’s content to stick the one-two, pivot out and repeat the process. The occasional low kick adds some variety.
What makes this hard to deal with is the rate at which Miocic does it. His pace is second only to Cain Velasquez in the heavyweight division, but unlike Velasquez, he prefers to operate in open space rather than pressuring his opponent back toward the fence. This plays to Miocic‘s 6’4″ frame, long reach and preference for rangy punches.
There’s no question Werdum is the stronger overall fighter, though, and he’ll be in firm control of the fight if he can keep Miocic on the ground for long stretches. Not only would that negate Miocic‘s striking advantage, it could also provide Werdum with an opening to lock in a submission and end the fight.
If push comes to shove, Werdum also showed against Mark Hunt that he can withstand some punishing blows:
As long as he can survive Miocic‘s early onslaught, Werdum will be in great position to retain his heavyweight title. And the longer the fight goes on, the more desperate the challenger could become, leaving himself vulnerable to a submission.
This could be the moment Miocic cements himself as the top dog in the heavyweight division, but look for Werdum to come out victorious after the fight goes the distance.
After pulling Conor McGregor from the card, the UFC needed to do something drastic to ensure UFC 200 would live up to its status as one of the most highly anticipated pay-per-views of 2016. The company received a lifeline in the form of a rematch betwe…
After pullingConorMcGregor from the card, the UFC needed to do something drastic to ensure UFC 200 would live up to its status as one of the most highly anticipated pay-per-views of 2016. The company received a lifeline in the form of a rematch between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier.
Good Morning America confirmed Wednesday the two will face off on July 9:
Jones, who won the first fight between the two, thinks he’s capable of triumphing easily once again:
Cormier, the current light heavyweight champion, is happy he has a chance to avenge the loss, per MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani:
With the main event now sorted out, the UFC has finalized the main card, although Nate Diaz, who was originally set to face McGregor, still doesn’t have an opponent:
McGregor was originally booked to headline UFC 200 with the Stockton, California, fighter. A disagreement about how much promotional work he’d do for the event led to his self-imposed exile.
McGregor is the UFC’s biggest star—as shown by the massive reaction to and coverage of his standoff with the company. Nothing the company could do in response to his removal from the UFC 200 card could match having him in the main event. With that said, Jones vs. Cormier II comes close.
The two were originally supposed to fight at UFC 197, but Cormiersuffered an injury in training and pulled out of the fight. Jones instead fought Ovince Saint Preux, winning a unanimous decision. It was his return to the Octagon following an indefinite suspension issued in April 2015 as a result of his involvement in a hit-and-run in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
On Jan. 3, 2015, Jones and Cormier fought at UFC 182, with the former earning a unanimous-decision victory. Cormier was a game challenger early in the fight, but the gulf between the two grew the longer the bout went on. Although Jones was the clear winner, he and Cormier were close enough that the UFC could realistically argue a rematch was warranted.
In addition, some might question whether Jones remains at the fighting level he maintained during his previous run as light heavyweight champion. He looked rusty against Saint Preux, which, to a certain extent, was to be expected after his year-plus layoff:
“I wonder if this is the new Jon,” Cormier said after the fight, per ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto. “That guy that fought tonight? That guy does not beat me.”
That doubt about Jones provides just enough belief that Cormier can avenge his defeat.
From a commercial perspective, the UFC had little other recourse than to fast-track this fight. The company is starved for headline-grabbing clashes, especially with McGregor at a standoff and Ronda Rousey’s Hollywood commitments taking up more and more of her time. The UFC couldn’t afford to pass on Jones and Cormier, who seem to have a genuine dislike of each other:
In a March interview on Tiki and Tierney (via FoxSports.com’s Elias Cepeda), Jones explained how their hostility is strictly professional:
I definitely don’t hate the guy. We don’t like each other because we’re both really elite in our sport. We’re at the highest level you can get when it comes to being a UFC fighter. He’s only lost to me. I’ve never lost to anyone. So I know that he’s a capable guy [who could] possibly defeat me. He knows that I can defeat him because I’ve already done it. There’s just a competitiveness there that only we can bring out of each other.
And even if a certain amount of their competitive rivalry is staged and played up for the cameras, they do a good enough job of creating an entertaining spectacle that it doesn’t matter. Take as Exhibit A their post-interview reaction on a 2014 edition of SportsCenter, via Greg Howard of Deadspin (Warning: link contains NSFW language):
Even without the addition of Jones vs. Cormier, diehard UFC fans were going to buy UFC 200; the company did its best to stack the card from top to bottom. Pitting the two light heavyweights against each other gives UFC a chance to grab the more casual followers who didn’t plan on watching the PPV or were on the fence about it.
The next few months should be an entertaining ride as Jones and Cormier exchange verbal barbs before stepping into the Octagon.
The mixed martial arts world is still reeling from news Conor McGregor won’t be fighting at UFC 200.UFC President Dana White confirmed Tuesday on SportsCenter the company pulled the reigning featherweight champion from the pay-per-view, per the UFC’s o…
The mixed martial arts world is still reeling from news Conor McGregor won’t be fighting at UFC 200.
UFC President Dana White confirmed Tuesday on SportsCenter the company pulled the reigning featherweight champion from the pay-per-view, per the UFC’s official Twitter account. The announcement came hours after McGregor tweeted he’s retiring:
Fox Sports Live‘s Twitter account offered its reaction:
The Internet Palace posted the inevitable “Crying Jordan” photo:
Terez Owens also provided this gem:
BreatheSport captured the reaction of fans across the globe:
In a statement on the UFC’s official site (via Thomas Gerbasi), White said McGregor declined to do any promotional work for UFC 200, which takes place July 9 in Las Vegas. McGregor was set for a rematch against Nate Diaz.
USA Today‘s Ben Fowlkes is a bit skeptical that’s the reason for McGregor’s abrupt departure:
ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto wouldn’t be too surprised if it’s the truth:
MMA Fighting’s Luke Thomas also thought it brought up an intriguing topic of discussion:
Journalist Charly Arnolt reported the Irish star refused to fight after the UFC declined to meet his demand of a roughly $10 million payment to take on Diaz. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden is hoping McGregor’s retirement isn’t a case of the company failing to properly remunerate one of its top fighters:
McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, is clearly enjoying himself. He joked the fighter is making the jump to WWE:
Twitter user @ConnorJA_ couldn’t help but notice the 27-year-old is now following a handful of big names associated with the professional wrestling empire:
WWE Creative Humor did its part to try to sway him:
There’s still a lot of time for McGregor and the UFC to work out their differences if the two sides are truly at an impasse. And if McGregor is holding out for more money, then retirement is his biggest leverage.
Should this actually be the end of his career in the Octagon, his personality would fit perfectly in the world of professional wrestling.
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani spoke out Sunday after he tweeted during UFC 199 on Saturday night that the UFC had pulled his credential and banned him for life.