Ariel Helwani
@arielhelwani • 1,411,561 subscribers
@uncrownedcombat x @yahoosports x The Ariel Helwani Show / @cbcolympics / @betmgm / @realsportsHBO
Shorts
!["You could see [Topuria's] bones protruding through his face. That's why Justin Gaethje dines in hell. It's essentially, 'I'm going to drag you into hell because you've never been here before, and I fucking live here every day.'" - Peter Carroll](https://image.24vids.com/tw-2066581037652791613/amplify_video_thumb/2066580768118431744/img/P_PpnNMD4fAySezf.jpg)
Videos
Kayla Harrison shares why she took issue with Demetrious Johnson's recent comments about Natalia Silva and Wang Cong: "I'm just kind of over Mighty's attitude. I'm over it. This mindset of scarcity is detrimental to the growth of the sport. There's enough room at the table for all of us to eat, and we don't have to belittle or poke fun or put down anyone else in order to build our own brand. Of course those girls are not stars yet, but do you know how you build a star? You fucking put them in the main event, and you build them. To talk shit about them like that, I just feel is unnecessary. Super unnecessary."
Ariel Helwani284,001 views • 4 days ago
I knew Sean would respond, and I knew exactly how he'd respond. Instead of refuting a single point I made about his contract situation, he immediately resorts to attacking me over Israel. I've said repeatedly that Sean is underpaid and deserves more money. He also reportedly just signed a six-fight deal, and now he has buyer's remorse. If my comments are so off base, why not address the actual facts instead of resorting to the same old tired playbook.
Ariel Helwani296,385 views • 5 days ago
Had the chance to speak with Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and watch him train with the great Eric Nicksick. Really fascinating to hear how much MMA has influenced the way he coaches. He’s clearly put in the work himself. Far more than just a fan of the sport. Hard to admit as a Knicks fan, but props where they're due.
Ariel Helwani7,895,607 views • 3 months ago
When speaking to the media earlier today, Dana White is asked why Wang Cong is getting a title shot. Naturally, he runs down her resume and starts listing notable wins. He says she beat Namajunas, Andrade and Grasso. Problem is, though, she’s NEVER fought ANY of those. Natalia Silva, Cong’s opponent, beat them. 🎥 MMA Fighting
Ariel Helwani911,823 views • 17 days ago
I don't blame Strickland at all for being upset because he is underpaid. I think all fighters should be paid more, but at the end of the day, he signed that deal. That's why I have little sympathy here. You agreed to terms, you signed that contract and secured that title shot, won the fight fair and square, and now you've got five fights left. You've got to deal with it. We know the UFC holds all the power. You can't demand a renegotiation. You can't leave after one win. You don't get a cut of the pie. There's no revenue sharing. There's no collective bargaining.
Ariel Helwani295,557 views • 6 days ago
Conrad Thompson scoffs at the idea of Roman Reigns making wrestling’s Mount Rushmore: “Roman Reigns between last year and this year will make more money in those two years than Ric Flair did in his entire career. And when people talk about him being on the Mount Rushmore and not Flair or not Austin or not Hogan, it’s like, come on, man, did you just start watching wrestling? People were offended by ‘industry plant.’ I don’t think people understand what industry plant means. If it’s so asinine and it’s so ridiculous, why is everyone talking about it? Why is it such a topic of conversation if it’s so ridiculous?"
Ariel Helwani550,397 views • 11 days ago
Ailín Pérez reveals the unexpected reason she believes her feud with Norma Dumont kicked off: “We shared cards together in the past where we were both the two big butts of the card, and I think there was a lot of jealousy and envy that she was feeling watching me be the star of the show. On top of that... there have been so many times where she’s declined to fight me and then come out and said that I declined to fight her. I definitely think it’s because she’s jealous of my butt, but also because of her boyfriend. Every time that we saw each other, he would look at me, and I think that would really bother her.”
Ariel Helwani958,441 views • 19 days ago
Demetrious Johnson doubles down on why he believes the UFC is not a sport, pointing to the promotion's inconsistent treatment of fighters: "When I hear Dana say, 'We want to keep the best athletes on the planet,' then there's another side to it. 'They're not exciting'... You get to f*cking make the matches. They get to pick and choose what they want to do, which goes back to that one thing I said. It's not a sport, it's entertainment. Which is fine. Just say it's entertainment."
Ariel Helwani240,735 views • 6 days ago
Conrad Thompson doubles down on his controversial Roman Reigns take: “The thing that upset everybody is I called him an industry plant. If you look at Stone Cold, he got really hot and over with the crowd, and then they made him champion. The same is true with every other wrestler in history except for Roman Reigns. They forced him to be on top and to always win over and over and over. When he beat The Undertaker at WrestleMania, he shows up on Raw the next day and they booed him nonstop. Fans just did not want it. I think if we’re gonna give credit where credit’s due, it’s Paul Heyman. Paul Heyman changed the way we all felt about Roman Reigns, and I wonder what his career would look like if it weren’t for Paul Heyman. I’m not saying Roman doesn’t deserve the credit. He’s certainly at the top of the mountain and having great matches and great promos and all that. But when people started to say, ‘Roman’s more important to the history of WWE than Hulk Hogan,’ that’s ridiculous. It’s not even close to true. Great wrestler, great performer. Hope he makes a million dollars an appearance from now on. I hope he crushes it. I’m just ready for something new.”
Ariel Helwani453,664 views • 11 days ago
Alexander Volkov unexpectedly praises the UFC for giving Josh Hokit the title shot: "I want to be honest with you... I’m very supportive of this fight from the UFC. Josh Hokit, from what I know about him, has clearly been dealing with some mental illness, so it’s very admirable for the UFC to put a guy with a serious mental condition into a title shot. Of course he should go in front of me. Guys with this kind of situation should fight first... This is the easiest way for an American heavyweight to get a title shot right now. It’s an incredibly inspiring story of a guy with a mental illness who can fight for the heavyweight title. It’s very supportive from the UFC. It’s a very noble thing for the UFC to do for him with all his mental problems. So yeah, I support it. You can’t laugh about people who have a mental illness. Of course I’m not joking. I can do it later. He can try first. I’ve been here for almost 10 years in the UFC. He just needs a chance right now... I don’t think he’ll have another opportunity like this."
Ariel Helwani1,020,764 views • 25 days ago
![Sebastian Fundora says he would not fight in Saudi Arabia under any circumstance: "There's a reason why I haven't fought in Saudi Arabia. I wouldn't feel comfortable, me being an American and everything like that. I'm happy for [other fighters] to take the opportunity, but for me, it wouldn't be realistic. My mother being a veteran and all the politics, that's bigger than boxing. It's way bigger than boxing."](https://image.24vids.com/tw-2110453436844282229/amplify_video_thumb/2110452658243035136/img/qJE_YXXbhN7DWdR6.jpg)
Sebastian Fundora says he would not fight in Saudi Arabia under any circumstance: "There's a reason why I haven't fought in Saudi Arabia. I wouldn't feel comfortable, me being an American and everything like that. I'm happy for [other fighters] to take the opportunity, but for me, it wouldn't be realistic. My mother being a veteran and all the politics, that's bigger than boxing. It's way bigger than boxing."
Ariel Helwani143,973 views • 4 days ago
Demetrious Johnson compares banning oblique kicks in MMA to the NFL protecting quarterbacks, arguing that fighters' long-term health should be prioritized: "It can ruin somebody's career... I don't do heel hooks and I don't do oblique kicks because there's another way I can take you out. I'll break somebody's arm because you have an opportunity to tap, right? But heel hooks and stepping on somebody's knee, for me, it's like dirty. I don't like the technique. I don't teach that technique. It's like the same thing with the NFL, right? You cannot rough the quarterback because they want to make sure the quarterback has a long career. I see it the same way for mixed martial arts."
Ariel Helwani188,033 views • 6 days ago
"When I'm done with my MMA career, I'm going to get on a healthy amount of steroids. I'm gonna get big as f*ck, and then you might see me in a pro wrestling ring." Andre Fili is eyeing a potential move to professional wrestling once his MMA career comes to an end.
Ariel Helwani181,904 views • 6 days ago
Demetrious Johnson questions Sean Strickland's complaints about UFC fighter pay, but respects his frustrations: "When is enough enough? Do I wish I made more money? 100%. But I'm not gonna sit here and gripe and moan about it. At the end of the day, it's Sean Strickland's journey. It's his career. If he's not happy with it, I have to respect that he's unhappy with it. It doesn't mean I have to agree with him. I'm a black and white type person, right? He signed a contract and he's got 5 fights left in his contract."
Ariel Helwani179,729 views • 6 days ago
![Joshua Van says a superfight with Petr Yan can wait, his main mission is to make people care about flyweight: “Nobody gave a shit about flyweight, and now they’re starting to care about flyweight. I can’t leave them hanging, man. I don’t give a f*** about [Demetrious Johnson’s] record. I’m just gonna fight until I don’t enjoy it. My job is to make people care about flyweight, and I think not just me, but the flyweight division is doing pretty damn good at that. I’m very proud to be a flyweight.”](https://image.24vids.com/tw-2102471154703491261/amplify_video_thumb/2102471074009190400/img/XlwE6xWGDD6i50Jf.jpg)
Joshua Van says a superfight with Petr Yan can wait, his main mission is to make people care about flyweight: “Nobody gave a shit about flyweight, and now they’re starting to care about flyweight. I can’t leave them hanging, man. I don’t give a f*** about [Demetrious Johnson’s] record. I’m just gonna fight until I don’t enjoy it. My job is to make people care about flyweight, and I think not just me, but the flyweight division is doing pretty damn good at that. I’m very proud to be a flyweight.”
Ariel Helwani842,668 views • 26 days ago
MVP reveals he'll make more money in his three-fight Misfits deal than he did during his entire UFC run, with seven figures per fight: "Misfits came with an absolutely crazy deal, which means I've continued to grow and get better financially. I've left the UFC and I'm making more money. Like two times more, maybe just over, and in a shorter period. In a three-fight deal, I'll make more than I have my whole UFC contract."
Ariel Helwani167,247 views • 6 days ago
Ailín Pérez shows the threatening message she received from Norman Dumont after their fight: “We’re never gonna be friends. We don’t like each other... After the fight, she actually wrote to me personally on my Instagram, and she actually told me that after the fight she’s gonna find me and beat the shit out of me. She said, ‘I already hit you once and I’m going to hit you again when I see you. You already know that you didn’t win.’
Ariel Helwani559,218 views • 19 days ago
Alexander Hernandez admits it's disappointing that genuine interactions with fans have been reduced to shallow talk about parlays: “The saddest thing in the world is you get done with a fight, you're in the airport, and no one just comes up to you to say they're a fan or ‘great work.’ They say, ‘You hit my parlay,’ or, ‘Man, we cashed out.’ It's the saddest demise of just sports enthusiasts and the interaction of fan and athlete. The whole makeup of it is just getting sadder and sadder.”
Ariel Helwani138,240 views • 5 days ago
Eddie Hearn fires back at Dana White for saying his father Barry is 'the real guy': “My dad is the real guy. He’s the OG... If I’m not a real guy and I’m weak, imagine getting spanked by the guy that’s not the real guy and the guy that’s weak. Imagine what my dad would have done to Dana White.”
Ariel Helwani313,499 views • 12 days ago