Jamahal Hill and 4 other MMA fighters Ariel Helwani has beefed with
Ariel Helwani is, perhaps, the most well-known journalist in the MMA sphere, and there's a good reason for it. He's passionate about the sport, having followed it long before it was popular or even profitable to do so. He often bought his own tickets to appear at noteworthy MMA events just to cover them.
But along the way, he developed a reputation for stirring the pot among fighters and breaking out pivotal news about announcements that the UFC, in particular, was not yet ready to make public. In doing so, he earned the enmity and rage of industry giants like UFC president Dana White and fighter manager Ali Abdelaziz.
However, even the fighters themselves have had bones to pick with Ariel Helwani due to his tendency to try and manufacture beef between them. This has, ironically, led to Helwani having feuds with several fighters, for one reason or another, and this list goes over five of them.
#5 Nick Diaz's beef with Ariel Helwani
Back in 2011, Nick Diaz was interviewed by Ariel Helwani. During that interview, the Stockton cult icon made his feelings about the polarizing journalist clear when he told him that his tendency to instigate fights between fighters is something that warrants a slap in Stockton.
Helwani himself senses some hostility from Diaz during that interview. Years later, Nick Diaz appeared on a Dr. Beau Hightower video, where he expressed his desire to fight Helwani out of all the MMA journalists he's come across. While the two are now on better terms, it's clear that things weren't always good.
As a fighter who struggled with social anxiety, having to engage in public spats with other fighters due to Helwani finding ways to manufacture drama between them must have certainly rubbed Diaz the wrong way.
#4 Brendan Schaub's beef with Ariel Helwani
Brendan Schaub is a former UFC heavyweight, who retired from the sport after an unremarkable run of 10 wins and five losses. He is known for being in the unique position of being good friends with UFC color commentator Joe Rogan, while also having a longstanding feud with UFC president Dana White.
However, White isn't the only person that Schaub has had issues with. After retiring from MMA, Schaub became an MMA podcaster and analyst. Naturally, he butted heads with Helwani, making a potentially career-damaging claim that Ariel Helwani was told about Brock Lesnar's UFC 200 return off the record.
The claim that he was fed this information off the record, yet still chose to disclose it, could have had damning reprecussions for Helwani. Schaub's other allegations about Helwani being incredibly difficult to work with after the latter's ESPN exit, further fanned the flames of their feud, culminating in a warning from Helwani.
#3 Dillon Danis' feud with Ariel Helwani
It should come as no surprise to anyone that the likes of Dillon Danis and Ariel Helwani find themselves embroiled in feuds with several MMA figures. Both men are known for their polarizing reputations, with Danis being an incessant trash-talker, who makes hyperbolic claims like being able to beat Jon Jones.
So naturally, Danis and Helwani butt heads. The famed MMA journalist has long been a critic of Danis' inactivity in the cage, while Danis once posted an insensitive meme about Helwani and his wife, implying that Helwani was a cuckold of sorts. The two have consistently jabbed at each other on social media.
But they finally had a face-to-face encounter on The MMA Hour ahead of Dillon Danis' previous boxing match with KSI, which never took place after the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace withdrew from the bout. The two men traded shots during the interview, with Helwani, albeit in a jovial context, insulting Danis and calling him a liar.
#2 Paddy Pimblett's feud with Ariel Helwani
The beef between Ariel Helwani and Paddy Pimblett is one that stems due to the pair getting off on the wrong foot. Sometime ago, the rising UFC lightweight star was contacted by Helwani, who hoped to interview him. Unfortunately, no such interview would take place.
It turned out that, according to Helwani, 'The Baddy's' manager demanded that a fee be paid for the right to interview him, which the world-renowned MMA journalist rejected. The two haven't seen eye to eye ever since, and Paddy Pimblett has even taken aim at Helwani on one occasion.
In a video posted to his official YouTube channel, 'The Baddy' had a sitdown with Dana White, where he expressed intense dislike for Ariel Helwani, accusing him of making money off of fighters while being critical of the UFC pay structure. He even claimed that Helwani has been fired from every job he's ever had.
While Helwani has been relatively tame regarding his responses to Pimblett, he did flat-out deny the scouser's claim that he's been fired from every job he's had.
#1 Jamahal Hill's feud with Ariel Helwani
The latest in a long line of fighters who dislike Ariel Helwani is Jamahal Hill. The former UFC light heavyweight champion has been critical of the journalist in the past. He alleges that during interviews with Jiří Procházka, Ariel Helwani tried to manipulate the Czech samurai into badmouthing him.
Issues between the two only escalated from there, with Helwani claiming that Hill was simply trying to manufacture drama to drum up fan interest in his budding YouTube channel. When he invited Hill on to The MMA Hour for a heart-to-heart, his offer was flatly rejected.
'Sweet Dreams' stated that if anyone is to go on any show, it would be Helwani on his. The beef between the two remains unresolved, with Hill even warning Helwani that, at some point, they'll have a face-to-face confrontation and that the renowned journalist will have to answer for his conduct in person.