Ariel Helwani destroys all the "lies" about him told by Dana White and Paddy Pimblett
Paddy Pimblett and UFC president Dana White have taken multiple jibes at Ariel Helwani. On Pimblett's Chattin Pony podcast, the UFC star spoke to White and labeled Helwani a "rat." '
The Baddy' claimed that Helwani is a "biased content creator," who doesn't pay fighters for their interviews despite earning significant sums through the interviews.
Additionally, Paddy Pimblett accused Ariel Helwani of speaking ill of him and his manager Graham Boylan. He claimed that Helwani's been fired from every decent place he's worked.
Similarly, Dana White referred to Helwani as "the biggest fu***ng piece of s**t of all time," among other insults. The UFC president also slammed Helwani for purportedly having a massive ego.
Watch the podcast episode below:
In 2016, Ariel Helwani was banned from attending UFC events after he leaked the news of Brock Lesnar's UFC 200 return. The Lesnar fiasco and their past differences resulted in the Helwani-White feud raging on till today.
In the latest edition of The MMA Hour, Helwani alluded to his long-running dispute with White. Helwani has now explained that while he doesn't really care about Pimblett or White criticizing him, he'll call them out for peddling "blatant lies."
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Ariel Helwani responds to Dana & Paddy.
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Helwani clarified that he wasn't fired from any of his job stints at outlets such as FOX and ESPN. Additionally, he insinuated that he's primarily worked on a fixed-pay contract basis and doesn't earn any extra money in the fighter interviews he conducts.
Moreover, Helwani noted that he has to be honest to ensure that the MMA community follows and trusts his news reportage. The 40-year-old said:
"They don't have to deal in the currency that is the truth. They could come out and say whatever they want. They can make up s**t all day long, and they don't have to answer for it. I do; I have to deal in the truth."
Watch Helwani discuss the topic at 6:36 in the video below:
Paddy Pimblett throws shade at Ariel Helwani after podcast session with Dana White
Ariel Helwani recalled that his feud with Paddy Pimblett was private. Nevertheless, with 'The Baddy' lambasting him on social media, Helwani opined that he'd now tell his side of the story.
He recalled that in November 2021, Pimblett's manager Graham Boylan -- and later Pimblett -- suggested that they'd like Helwani to pay him for an interview. Helwani revealed text messages on his show and pointed out that when he refused to pay Pimblett, he and Boylan responded with hostility, which culminated in a fallout.
Regardless, on tonight's MMA Hour episode, Helwani extended the olive branch and wished Paddy Pimblett luck ahead of his upcoming fight. 'The Baddy' is set to face Jared Gordon in a lightweight matchup at UFC 282 on December 10th.
Pimblett subsequently took to Instagram a few hours back to put forth a post, indicating that he's well aware that his conversation with White likely irked Helwani. Meanwhile, White hasn't replied to Helwani's MMA Hour assertions yet.
Check out Pimblett's Instagram post below: