UFC president Dana White dislikes ESPN reporter Ariel Helwani.
Probably because Helwani has a history of contesting promotion in some of his “deaf” decisions, like the time White and Co. registered Greg Hardy on the same card as a victim of domestic violence.
“Who the hell is Ariel Helwani to question everything we do? I think we did a very good job in 20 years, I could care what he thinks, or anyone else, ”White told TMZ about two years ago. “If you’re that kind of an idiot … whatever you want to call it, you can do something with anything.”
Helwani did something with the recent comments that former Strikeforce attraction Gina Carano made on social media, which cost “Conviction” its recurring role in the popular Disney + series The Mandalorian.
“As a Jew, and as a human being, it just doesn’t look good,” said Helwani on Instagram. “And I wish she never posted that. And frankly, I wish someone had talked to her about her social media posts last year. Some of them are not even politicians. In general, they seemed strange to me. I’m sorry that she followed that path. “
White, who courted Carano during the Ronda Rousey era, was recently asked about the decision to “cancel” the Haywire actress for speaking her mind. He not only defended “Conviction”, but also criticized Helwani for agreeing.
“Leave Gina alone,” said White. “Listen, we make mistakes. We all make mistakes. For everyone to participate in it … I love how Ariel Helwani did everything about him. It was all about him. What an idiot. “
Broadcast partner ESPN didn’t have much to say in the 2019 incident, but when pressured by reporters for a reaction to White’s recent attack on Helwani, the network told the NY Post: “Ariel is a valuable colleague and an exceptional MMA reporter. . Your history speaks for itself. “
And his colleagues speak for him.
The UFC returns to the ESPN platform this weekend in Las Vegas.