Tag: Ariel Helwani

‘Literally Bite Off My Head’ Ariel Helwani Inside the Chaotic Scene With a Fuming Mike Tyson after slapping Jake Paul

‘Literally Bite Off My Head’ Ariel Helwani Inside the Chaotic Scene With a Fuming Mike Tyson after slapping Jake PaulMike Tyson slapped Jake Paul at their weigh-ins and it was quickly broken up with security. Ariel Helwani went…

‘Literally Bite Off My Head’ Ariel Helwani Inside the Chaotic Scene With a Fuming Mike Tyson after slapping Jake Paul

Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul at their weigh-ins and it was quickly broken up with security. Ariel Helwani went to interview ‘Iron’ Mike and was utterly terrified by what he saw from the heavyweight boxing great.

Ariel Helwani terrified of Mike Tyson

Iron’ Mike Tyson and Jake Paul stared each other down during their weigh-in ceremony. But apparently ‘The Problem Child’ had stepped on Tyson’s toe with his shoe. Thus, Tyson delivered five fingers to the face of Paul in retribution. Security came and broke up the melee and MMA journalist Ariel Helwani went to interview the heavyweight boxing icon.

Mike Tyson Laid the Smackdown on Jake Paul During Final Face-Off Ahead of Fight Night

Ariel Helwani recalled the scene:

“There’s a whole melee and I think, okay, they want me to talk to Jake first. And I say, forget that I need to talk to Tyson first. He’s the story here. So I go to Tyson and he is being surrounded by security and they’re all like locking hands, essentially surrounding him.”

Helwani looked into Tyson’s eyes and continued:

“I have never seen that look on a fighter’s face before. I’ve never seen that look on a human being’s face before. I thought he was going to eat my head, like literally bite off my head and didn’t, and like swallow it, not even chew.”

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are set for a boxing match on November 15 and Ariel Helwani will be on commentary duty for the event. The professional heavyweight fight will be streamed on Netflix and broadcast live from AT&T Stadium in Texas.

“Just Retire It. End It.” Ariel Helwani Slams BMF Belt Calling for Its End

"Just Retire It. End It." Ariel Helwani Slams BMF Belt Calling for Its EndAriel Helwani thinks it’s time for the UFC to retire the BMF title. Introduced in 2019, the bragging rights…

"Just Retire It. End It." Ariel Helwani Slams BMF Belt Calling for Its End

Ariel Helwani thinks it’s time for the UFC to retire the BMF title.

Introduced in 2019, the bragging rights belt was established to give Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz something to fight for when the two fan favorites headlined UFC 244 in Madison Square Garden. ‘Gamebred’ ended up winning the title via a third-round doctor’s stoppage TKO.

Since then, the belt has found its way around the waist of both Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway in 2024, but Helwani thinks the UFC should have done away with the gimmick immediately after it was wrapped around Masvidal’s waist.

”He [Usman] was the king of the welterweights and the people who were fighting for the BMF title weren’t in title contention just yet and so if you can’t be a champion there, you could create your own belt and this has been the issue that I’ve always had with the BMF title,” Helwani said on his show.

“If I’m Islam Makhachev and you are touting Max Holloway is the baddest motherf**ker on the planet, I’m like, ‘Yo, this is my weight class, you won to fight in, I’m the baddest guy on the planet, I’m the baddest MFer at 155,’ that’s what the belt should recognize… Not some like secondary division within the division… It should have ended with the Masvidal fight in MSG.”

No Reigning BMF champion has ever won a fight inside the octagon

Masvidal went on to lose four straight fights inside the Octagon before walking away from the promotion last year. The promotion then reintroduced the title at UFC 291 for a long-awaited rematch between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier.

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‘The Highlight’ ended up winning the fight and the title via a stunning second-round head-kick KO but handed it over to Max Holloway nine months later at UFC 300 when ‘Blessed’ scored an insane buzzer-beating knockout against the lightweight contender.

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Holloway recently returned to the Octagon at UFC 308, not to defend the BMF belt, but to try and add another piece of hardware to his collection. ‘Blessed’ squared off with featherweight king Ilia Topuria and ended up suffering the first knockout loss of his illustrious career.

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Interestingly, no BMF titleholder has ever won a fight inside the Octagon. Masvidal, Gaethje, and Holloway all went a combined 0-6 after laying claim to the fictitious title.

Maybe Helwani is onto something.

“Just Retire It. End It.” Ariel Helwani Slams BMF Belt Calling for Its End

"Just Retire It. End It." Ariel Helwani Slams BMF Belt Calling for Its EndAriel Helwani thinks it’s time for the UFC to retire the BMF title. Introduced in 2019, the bragging rights…

"Just Retire It. End It." Ariel Helwani Slams BMF Belt Calling for Its End

Ariel Helwani thinks it’s time for the UFC to retire the BMF title.

Introduced in 2019, the bragging rights belt was established to give Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz something to fight for when the two fan favorites headlined UFC 244 in Madison Square Garden. ‘Gamebred’ ended up winning the title via a third-round doctor’s stoppage TKO.

Since then, the belt has found its way around the waist of both Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway in 2024, but Helwani thinks the UFC should have done away with the gimmick immediately after it was wrapped around Masvidal’s waist.

”He [Usman] was the king of the welterweights and the people who were fighting for the BMF title weren’t in title contention just yet and so if you can’t be a champion there, you could create your own belt and this has been the issue that I’ve always had with the BMF title,” Helwani said on his show.

“If I’m Islam Makhachev and you are touting Max Holloway is the baddest motherf**ker on the planet, I’m like, ‘Yo, this is my weight class, you won to fight in, I’m the baddest guy on the planet, I’m the baddest MFer at 155,’ that’s what the belt should recognize… Not some like secondary division within the division… It should have ended with the Masvidal fight in MSG.”

No Reigning BMF champion has ever won a fight inside the octagon

Masvidal went on to lose four straight fights inside the Octagon before walking away from the promotion last year. The promotion then reintroduced the title at UFC 291 for a long-awaited rematch between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier.

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‘The Highlight’ ended up winning the fight and the title via a stunning second-round head-kick KO but handed it over to Max Holloway nine months later at UFC 300 when ‘Blessed’ scored an insane buzzer-beating knockout against the lightweight contender.

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Holloway recently returned to the Octagon at UFC 308, not to defend the BMF belt, but to try and add another piece of hardware to his collection. ‘Blessed’ squared off with featherweight king Ilia Topuria and ended up suffering the first knockout loss of his illustrious career.

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Interestingly, no BMF titleholder has ever won a fight inside the Octagon. Masvidal, Gaethje, and Holloway all went a combined 0-6 after laying claim to the fictitious title.

Maybe Helwani is onto something.

Ariel Helwani critical of UFC’s weak promotion of Tom Aspinall, belittles Jon Jones

Ariel Helwani critical of UFC's weak promotion of Tom Aspinall, belittles Jon JonesAriel Helwani didn’t hold back in his assessment of the UFC’s current heavyweight title picture. Becoming the first fighter…

Ariel Helwani critical of UFC's weak promotion of Tom Aspinall, belittles Jon Jones

Ariel Helwani didn’t hold back in his assessment of the UFC’s current heavyweight title picture.

Becoming the first fighter in more than a decade to defend an interim title, Tom Aspinall walked through one of the most feared men in the division, Curtis Blaydes, in a stunning 60-second blitz at UFC 304, further establishing himself in the eyes of many as the best heavyweight in the world today.

Tom Aspinall

Meanwhile, undisputed heavyweight champion Jon Jones only has one fight in the division.

By the time ‘Bones’ is expected to put his gold on the line for the first time, he’ll be 18 months removed from his title-winning performance against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. Aspinall has bagged three first-round knockouts in that timeframe, leading Helwani, among others, to recognize the UK fan favorite as the legit UFC heavyweight king.

During a recent episode of The MMA Hour, Helwani slammed the promotion for not getting fully behind Aspinall despite his impressive run inside the Octagon. Helwani also managed to work in a few digs at Jones, noting that unlike ‘Bones,’ Aspinall does not “disrespect” or “embarrass” the company.

”The guy [Aspinall] is a dream,” Helwani said. “He’s a family man, he doesn’t disrespect the company, and he doesn’t embarrass the company… It blows my mind that they’re not getting behind him in the ways I think they should get behind him.”

”They’ve got something very special, and he’s the best heavyweight in the world, and I don’t even think it’s a debate. I don’t think it’s a hot take. I don’t think it’s a crazy statement. He is the best heavyweight in the world in my opinion and that interim belt is a hell of a lot more real than Jones’ belt if you ask me.”

Tom Aspinall listed as -150 favorite in potential Jon Jones UFC title fight

Aspinall is virtually perfect inside the Octagon, scoring eight wins and eight finishes with his only loss coming against ‘Razor’ after suffering a devastating knee injury 15 seconds into their first meeting in 2022.

In November, Jon Jones plans on making his return to the Octagon at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden to defend his undisputed strap against former two-division titleholder and consensus heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic, though the bout has not been officially announced. Presumably, the winner of that fight would then compete against Aspinall in a unification clash.

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Whether that actually happens remains to be seen, but it hasn’t stopped online sportsbooks from offering early odds for the potential showdown. According to BetOnline, Aspinall is listed as a -150 following his first-round destruction of Curtis Blaydes.

This time last year, Aspinall was sitting as a +170 underdog and Jones was a 2-to-1 favorite.

Ariel Helwani claims Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler will be rebooked for December, rules out Noche UFC

Ariel Helwani believes Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler will be rebooked for December, rules out Noche UFCAriel Helwani sees the long-awaited clash between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler going down in December. Originally, the Irish…

Ariel Helwani believes Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler will be rebooked for December, rules out Noche UFC

Ariel Helwani sees the long-awaited clash between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler going down in December.

Originally, the Irish megastar was scheduled to make his quote-unquote “greatest comeback in combat sports history” at UFC 303. Unfortunately, McGregor opted to bow out of the bout due to a broken pinky toe, paving the way for Alex Pereira to step in and steal the spotlight with another highlight-reel knockout.

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Since his withdrawal, McGregor suggested that a return in August or September would be optimal. Sadly, that may not be the case according to Helwani who believes that December would be the likeliest date since the UFC’s dance card is already filled up for the next few months.

Conor McGregor

“At this point, if I had to put money on Conor vs Chandler, if I had to, and this is not me reporting it, so don’t go crazy,” Helwani said on The MMA Hour. “But the way the wind is blowing at this juncture, it seems to be December. I don’t think they are going to create a date. If I had to, this second. And then, like I said.”

Helwani says there’s ‘no chance’ of conor mcGregor vs. Michael chandler happening at sphere

With McGregor previously suggesting a September return date, rumors ran rampant that we could see McGregor vs. Chandler at UFC 306 when the promotion heads to Sphere in Las Vegas. Helwani ruled out that possibility, adding that McGregor would be a far too expensive edition for an event with a production budget already tipping the scales at $17 million.

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“There will be no chance Conor and Chandler will fight at the Sphere, it’s just too expensive, and Conor commands too much money,” Helwani added.

Helwani went on to suggest that the highly anticipated bantamweight title clash between reigning champion ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili could headline Noche UFC on September 14, though Helwani made it clear that nothing is set in stone with the promotion also considering taking the fight to Salt Lake City for UFC 307 a month later.

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Ariel Helwani Pitches KSI As Next Opponent For Jorge Masvidal After Boxing Loss To Nate Diaz

Ariel Helwani recently floated the idea of online personality KSI (real name Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji) as the next potential opponent for Jorge Masvidal following his defeat to Nate Diaz in their boxing match. This past Saturday, Masvidal came up short on the judges’ scorecards in a rematch of their Octagon clash from UFC 244 […]

Continue Reading Ariel Helwani Pitches KSI As Next Opponent For Jorge Masvidal After Boxing Loss To Nate Diaz at MMA News.

Ariel Helwani recently floated the idea of online personality KSI (real name Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji) as the next potential opponent for Jorge Masvidal following his defeat to Nate Diaz in their boxing match.

This past Saturday, Masvidal came up short on the judges’ scorecards in a rematch of their Octagon clash from UFC 244 in November 2019. This time, the bout took place in a professional boxing ring, headlining a pay-per-view event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

After a showdown marked by intense, back-and-forth action, two of the three judges awarded the victory to Diaz with scores of 98-92 and 97-93. The third judge, however, saw it as a dead heat, scoring the fight a 95-95 draw.

Following the loss, the former BMF titleholder contended that he had done enough to secure the victory and claimed that the judges were prejudiced against him. Although Masvidal immediately called for a rematch, Diaz promptly dismissed this request during the post-event press conference.

“Gamebred” has previously mentioned that he has a three-fight contract with Fanmio, granting him the opportunity to pursue high-profile boxing matches. Considering Masvidal’s recent passion for the sweet science, it seems highly probable that he will seek a swift return to the squared circle.

While Helwani may not be an official matchmaker, he has an intriguing contender in mind for Masvidal’s comeback fight…

Helwani Sees KSI As Prime Matchup For Masvidal’s Next Boxing Bout

During a recent episode of The MMA Hour, Helwani explored potential opponents for Jorge Masvidal’s next boxing match, ultimately suggesting the possibility of pitting YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI against the former two-time UFC welterweight title challenger.

The Canadian combat sports journalist suggested that a fight with Masvidal would be significantly more intriguing than the scheduled 1 vs. 2 matchup against Slim Albaher and MMA veteran Anthony Taylor.

“I’ll tell you what, with all due respect, I would much rather see Jorge against KSI than KSI in this, you know, whatever, [1 vs.2],” Helwani said. “Actually, Jorge versus KSI is really interesting to me.”

Helwani further noted that the bittersweet past between Masvidal and KSI makes this matchup a more logical and compelling choice for both fighters.

“Remember, that was a thing that kind of happened a year and a half ago on the show, where they suggested it and they were kind of looking into it. I’m pretty sure KSI is on the okay list; you know, like, there’s this list that the UFC gave Jorge that he’s allowed to take fights with X, Y, and Z.”

Last July, in a conversation with Masvidal, Helwani broached the notion of arranging a boxing match with KSI. However, the 39-year-old Miami native swiftly dismissed any interest in squaring off against the British social media influencer.

Despite announcing his retirement from MMA after a loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 in April 2023, Masvidal recently disclosed that he is still under contract with the UFC.

The organization has granted him special permission to pursue boxing opportunities, and Masvidal has hinted at an inevitable return to the Octagon in the future.

Continue Reading Ariel Helwani Pitches KSI As Next Opponent For Jorge Masvidal After Boxing Loss To Nate Diaz at MMA News.