Tag: Ariel Helwani

Jared Cannonier Weighs In on UFC Fighter Pay After Latest Win

Jared CannonierJared Cannonier is riding a ton of momentum after his unanimous decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum in the main event of UFC Vegas 34, in his return to the octagon after suffering an injury in his loss to Robert Whittaker last October at UFC 254. But it was Cannonier’s comments after the fight that left […]

Jared Cannonier

Jared Cannonier is riding a ton of momentum after his unanimous decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum in the main event of UFC Vegas 34, in his return to the octagon after suffering an injury in his loss to Robert Whittaker last October at UFC 254.

But it was Cannonier’s comments after the fight that left a lasting impression on the fans when it came to his insight into UFC fighter pay and how he desires to be fairly compensated going forward.

Just moments after the official decision was read in the middle of the UFC APEX, Cannonier alluded to being “broke” and a desire to fight again soon to help pay some of his ongoing bills. His recent injury woes have prevented him from remaining active in the UFC’s middleweight division despite still being listed as the third-ranked middleweight contender.

The time off surely impacted Cannonier’s wallet and ability to make a living, as he later explained during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with MMA journalist Ariel Helwani.

“It’s not dire, it’s just a natural occurrence if you will,” Cannonier said. “Of course coming off the injury, I’m not balling out of control or anything like that, and a lot of people don’t understand that when we have these fights that we owe people money after these fights. After this win, 60 percent of my money is already gone. Between the gym, between management, between taxes, on top of that, I’ve got bills, credit cards, I got kids. That money goes. Money doesn’t last forever.”

“Right now fighting is our only revenue. I don’t have sponsors or anything like that. Fighting is my only focus. Not being able to fight for the last 10 months put a strain on our pockets. So I’m glad to have gotten back in there.”

Cannonier isn’t the only UFC athlete that has recently made his opinions known regarding the financial state of how fighters are compensated for their efforts. Jon Jones, Francis Ngannou, and Jorge Masvidal are just a few of the big names who have criticized the UFC brass for how they’ve handled the revenue made off their names and performances in the octagon.

What is your reaction to Jared Cannonier’s recent comments?

Darren Till Trolled By MMA Community Over Lookalike Video

Darren TillDarren Till is used to being the one doing the trolling, but he had the tables turned on him over the weekend. In a video that has since gone viral after being initially uploaded to TikTok by user QueenOfScottyRoad, a belligerent man is seen arguing with a cashier in a Liverpool shop. Given where the […]

Darren Till

Darren Till is used to being the one doing the trolling, but he had the tables turned on him over the weekend.

In a video that has since gone viral after being initially uploaded to TikTok by user QueenOfScottyRoad, a belligerent man is seen arguing with a cashier in a Liverpool shop. Given where the incident took place and the appearance of the man, many in the MMA community made the connection to Liverpool’s own Till.

Without having a native ear, it’s hard to fully understand what is said between the two. However, it appears that the woman behind the cash tells the man – who is carrying a bottle of alcohol – that he is banned from the store for previously shoplifting. The man responds in disbelief and goes on a rant before ending with his apparent motto.

“You know what I always say? Times are hard and friends are few. Tara (meaning goodbye) to f—ing you!”

The video caught the attention of Ariel Helwani, who quickly shared it across his social media platforms. It spread like wildfire, and soon Till found himself the butt of a number of jokes.

For his part, Till has taken the jokes in stride. He responded on Michael Bisping‘s Instagram post, simply telling the fellow UK fighter, “Hahahahahaha fuck offff””

Let’s just hope Till can lay off the sauce and shoplifting long enough to properly prepare for his next bout. He is scheduled to meet Derek Brunson in the main event fight on August 14 but that date could change with a UFC London card in play for September 4. Currently, on a 1-3 stretch, Till will need the victory in order to stay in title contention.

For Brunson, the fight gives him an opportunity to run his winning streak to 5, and perhaps put himself near the front of the line for a shot at Israel Adesanya‘s title.

Do you think it looks like Darren Till in the video?

Ariel Helwani Opens Up On ESPN Exit & Toxic Relationship With Dana White

Former ESPN MMA reporter Ariel Helwani has been opening up about his exit from the company and other drama recently. Since leaving them about a month ago and going independent, Helwani has been doing multiple interviews talking about his experience. On Monday, Helwani really let it fly with his appearance on “The Dan Le Batard […]

Former ESPN MMA reporter Ariel Helwani has been opening up about his exit from the company and other drama recently.

Since leaving them about a month ago and going independent, Helwani has been doing multiple interviews talking about his experience. On Monday, Helwani really let it fly with his appearance on “The Dan Le Batard Show”. He talked about his very rocky relationship with Dana White and how it has effected his career.

Helwani references an incident in 2016 when he got briefly banned from UFC events for breaking the news of Brock Lesnar’s return to early. He also shares how White tried to run him out when he signed with ESPN in 2018. (H/T sportingnews.com)

“From the moment it was made public that I was joining ESPN — unbeknownst to me on my life, on my kid’s life — I didn’t know when I was hired by ESPN, I didn’t know that they were in talks with the UFC. I had no idea. At the time, they really had, like, one MMA guy on the staff. And then if you recall — and you can go back and look — initially they signed them to a 10-card deal, ESPN+ only.

“And then I was like, ‘All right, they’re not the sole, exclusive broadcast partner. I can live with that.’ And then it became the whole freaking thing, and then I started to get nervous. So from the moment it was made public in mid-May that I was going to ESPN and, at that time, it had already been out that they had signed this deal with ESPN, the UFC did, Dana White tried to get me not even to make it to my first day.

“I mean, he raised hell to try to stop me — my first day was June 15 — tried to stop me [from getting to] the first day. Now, to the credit of a lot of the executives there, they all said no. They all had my back. They gave me opportunities. But, for the next three years, it was one roadblock after the next. It was one issue after the next. It was all kinds of stuff.”

Helwani did say that he had no hard feelings towards ESPN. However, he did admit that he was disappointed in his last contract offer from the company.

“For the record, they did give me an offer, and it was an offer that I think a lot of people covering MMA would be thrilled with,” Helwani said. “At the end of the day, there was an offer that I had to turn down. They could have easily said, ‘Thanks for your time. Let’s just go our separate ways.’ But they did give me an offer. It was not an offer that I felt was fair or that was what I was looking for or even reflective of the work that I had done for the past three years. I was 100 percent disappointed by the offer. It was not what I was expecting.”

You can watch the full interview with Helwani below.

What do you think of Ariel Helwani and his recent admissions about his time at ESPN?

Ariel Helwani Claims Dana White Tried To Prevent His ESPN Tenure

MMA journalist Ariel Helwani is making quite the claim about UFC President Dana White. Helwani recently departed from ESPN after deciding against signing a new contract with the sports media juggernaut. Instead, Helwani will now be working with MMAFigh…

MMA journalist Ariel Helwani is making quite the claim about UFC President Dana White. Helwani recently departed from ESPN after deciding against signing a new contract with the sports media juggernaut. Instead, Helwani will now be working with MMAFighting again, BT Sport, and The Ringer. In addition, Helwani will be providing content through Substack and […]

Continue Reading Ariel Helwani Claims Dana White Tried To Prevent His ESPN Tenure at MMA News.

Helwani: Hunter Campbell To Blame For Threats During UFC Negotiations

Ariel Helwani outs Hunter Campbell for threats during UFC negotiations.
Continue Reading Helwani: Hunter Campbell To Blame For Threats During UFC Negotiations at MMA News.

Ariel Helwani outs Hunter Campbell for threats during UFC negotiations.

Continue Reading Helwani: Hunter Campbell To Blame For Threats During UFC Negotiations at MMA News.

Michael Bisping Reveals His Son Callum Wants MMA Fights

Michael BispingUFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping has made an extraordinary impact on the world of MMA. From his incredible UFC career that included a middleweight title reign, to his current occupation as one of the main voices of the UFC; Bisping has made an impact that only a few in the combat sports community can […]

Michael Bisping

UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping has made an extraordinary impact on the world of MMA. From his incredible UFC career that included a middleweight title reign, to his current occupation as one of the main voices of the UFC; Bisping has made an impact that only a few in the combat sports community can claim.

Now, as a retired fighter and current broadcaster, his offspring is allegedly ready to take the reigns.

Bisping’s son, Callum is currently a college wrestler at San Francisco State University as a sophomore on the team. During a recent “Believe You Me” podcast sit-down with Ariel Helwani, Bisping gave some insight as to what his son’s athletic aspirations are; including a possible run in MMA.

“Father’s Day, he calls me up and says ‘I cornered my buddy in an MMA match on Saturday night, and I know I can beat that guy. So Dad, will you train me for a fight?” Bisping said about his son Callum.

If this is true, Callum sure has genetics on his side when it comes to athletic ability in the UFC octagon. His father, Michael holds the record with 29 total fights in the UFC, became the first British champion after upsetting Luke Rockhold at UFC 199, and recorded 20 wins over his career in the cage.

Callum is also a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner to go along with his already decorated career in wrestling. He earned a silver medal at the SJJIF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships in Long Beach, California, and even helped his father Michael for his title fight against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217.

Michael retired following a loss to Kelvin Gastelum back at UFC Fight Night 122 and has become one of the most notorious voices in MMA broadcasting today. He’s provided color commentary for major pay-per-view events in the UFC along with post-fight interviews with the athletes.

If DNA is any indication, Callum could find a lot of success in MMA. Whether or not he actually competes in a professional manner in MMA remains to be seen, but he already has the advantage of having his Hall of Fame dad assisting him with this venture.

Do you think Callum Bisping could potentially be a future star in MMA?