Ariel Helwani is one of the most popular Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) journalists. He has been associated with Fox Sports and ESPN, covering Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) matches.
He gained popularity not only because of his good performance but also because of all the controversies he has been part of. In fact, Helwani has been associated with quite a lot of disputes.
As a sports journalist, your prime responsibility is to build a tie between the athletes and well-wishers. Helwani was pretty good at it.
Today, we will be talking about Ariel Helwani without excluding anything worth mentioning that has ever happened in his personal and professional life. Let’s get started!
Quick Facts:
| Full name | Ariel Helwani |
| Birthdate | July 8, 1982 |
| Birthplace | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Religion | Mezrahi Jewish |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Horoscope | Cancer |
| Father’s name | Claude Helwani |
| Mother’s name | Pina Helwani |
| Siblings | Not Known |
| Age | 45 Years Old |
| Height | 5 feet 11.5 inches (181.61 cm) |
| Weight | 110 kg |
| Eye color | Light Brown |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Jaclyn Stein |
| Children | Three (Two sons and a daughter) |
| Daughter’s Name | Claire Helwani |
| Profession | Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) journalist |
| Affiliation | Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) |
| Shows | Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show
Ariel & The Bad Guy DC & Helwani ESPN MMA Snap Show NBA Sideline rookie |
| Former Shows | MMA Fighting
Fox Sports 1’s weekly UFC Tonight Sirius XM radio show “Fight Club The MMA Hour Podcast MMA Beat show on YouTube |
| Awards and Honors | MMA Journalist of the Year for nice subsequent years (2010-2018)
Named Power 20 (by Fight! Magazine) in 2011 2014 Journalist of the Year |
| Net worth | Around $8 million |
| Social Media Handles | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter |
| Last Update | July, 2022 |
Ariel Helwani was born where? Young Adulthood, Family, and Education
On July 8, 1982, Ariel Helwani was born in Montreal, Quebec. His parents, Claude Helwani and Pina Helwani, gave birth to him.
In Canada, Claude Helwani is the owner of the sizable textile business Tricots-Liesse. His relatives are Mizrahi Jews.
Jews from the Middle East and North America who lived from the time of the Bible to the present day are known as Mizrahi Jews.
Helwani is primarily a Middle Eastern Mizrahi Jewish community descendant. His father is from Egypt, while his mother is from Lebanon.
Helwani has ties to the fighting industry beyond journalism. Popular Lebanese Judoka David Saad is his maternal uncle.
In the men’s lightweight competition at the 1976 Summer Olympics, Saad competed. Gad Saad, his other maternal uncle, is an evolutionary psychologist who is Lebanese-Canadian.
He is employed by the John Molson School of Business, which uses evolutionary psychology to study consumer behavior and marketing.
Helwani is a multilingual person who was raised in a multicultural environment. He speaks Hebrew, French, and English perfectly. He also comprehends Arabic and Spanish.
The following biography of Nadia Kassem, who practices mixed martial arts, might be of interest to you:
Education
Helwani specifically grew up in Westmount, a suburb of Montreal, and Mount Royal, Quebec. He initially attended Akiva School. His next place of study was Herzliah High School.
Helwani then joined the SI. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. In 2004, he received his university degree.
Ariel Helwani’s age, height, and weight can be found here.
Ariel, who was born on July 15, 1978, is currently 38 years old. Additionally, he was born under the sign of Cancer. And based on what we know, those born under this sign are regarded as being courageous, tenacious, passionate, and enthusiastic.
Helwani weighs approximately 110 kg and stands at a height of 5 feet 11.5 inches (181.61 cm) (242 lbs).
Ariel’s short, dark brown hair and bright, light brown eyes are two of his other distinguishing physical characteristics.
Professional Career of Ariel Helwani
Helwani has been a professional MMA reporter since 2006. He began his career with MMA Fighting.
In May 2018, he then joined ESPN. Helwani has also held the position of “MMA Insider” for the weekly UFC Tonight on Fox Sports 1. He also held the same position during another pre- and post-event programming. Additionally, he has co-hosted episodes of the Sirius XM radio program “Fight Club.”
He also served as the podcast’s host, The MMA Hour. He additionally hosted an MMA Beat YouTube series.
Helwani serves as the association’s temporary vice president for journalists covering mixed martial arts. The group is thought to be extremely divisive.
At ESPN, he serves as the host of the program “Ariel & the Bad Guy.” He shared the hosting duties for the program with Chael Sonnen.
In a similar vein, he has kept up his podcast and continues to cover MMA for all ESPN platforms. He does keep himself very busy working as an MMA reporter.
Why was Ariel Helwani fired by UFC? The UFC 199 scandal and the lifetime ban
Before the June 4, 2016, main event, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) booted Helwani and his two coworkers from the event.
Additionally, the three of them had their press passes stolen. The trio received a permanent ban from all UFC events.
Helwani previously reported on Brock Lesnar’s comeback at UFC 20. Before UFC made the announcement on the broadcast, he had already reported it. He didn’t even think about informing UFC first.
According to UFC spokesman Dave Sholler, such reporting is not appropriate. According to UFC Joe Rogan, the business had asked Helwani not to report that information.
The management believed a mole had told him about it. They were unaware of the offender. They therefore set out to eliminate any potential moles within the company.
Helwani, however, had a different account to share. He rejected Rogan’s account and thought it was entirely false.
The news was not well received by Dana White, the current president of the UFC. As long as he remains employed by UFC, he claimed, the ban would not be lifted.
White continued by saying he would not object to Helwani covering the event without press credentials.
Then Helwani spoke up to share his version of events. In an emotional broadcast on The MMA Hour’s episode from June 6, he described the incident.
He claimed that after being asked to see Dana White, who informed him that he had been banned for being too negative, he did so.
Later, Lorenzo Fertitta made the entire call, as Helwani later learned. He then made the decision to promptly report the news.
Additionally, he declared that he would keep up his MMA journalism career. There are always ups and downs in life.
There are times when you set the trap, and there are times when you fall into it.
Nothing should bother you as long as you are committed to continuing the career you love with pride. Helwani firmly defended this theory.
After that
The perception of Helwani was not entirely unfavorable. High-profile UFC competitors felt sorry for him. After all, no one deserves to be treated cruelly, especially at work.
Jon Jones, the light-heavyweight champion, wrote on Twitter that Helwani’s ban is unfortunate and expressed his sympathy and empathy for him.
Daniel Cormier, a close friend of Helwani, exhibited similar emotions.
On Twitter, Chris Weidman, a former middleweight champion, stated: “This sport needs the GOAT of MMA reporting. Greatest of All Time is abbreviated as GOAT.
On June 6, the UFC called off the event. They said they wouldn’t stand in the way of MMAFighting.com getting press credentials to cover live UFC events.
The UFC went on to say that they respect the role that the media plays in sports and other fields. They also acknowledged the significance of MMA Fighting’s skillful reporting.
However, they also discussed the incident, claiming that the lead reporter’s repeated strategies went beyond the scope of journalism.
In their final statement, they expressed confidence that they had effectively conveyed their position to the editorial staff of SB Nation.
Ban on Mayweather vs. McGregor
Helwani has in fact generated a lot of controversy.
Before the first press conference, Helwani came forward to claim that they had fired him from the Showtime broadcast crew. The Mayweather vs. McGregor press tour was where it happened.
He announced on Twitter that he would no longer be working for SHOsports during the May/Mac tour.
Also, He added that UFC specifically requested his removal. He also expressed his dissatisfaction.
ESPN
Helwani stopped reporting for MMA Fight. He is now employed by ESPN. The official broadcasting partner of the UFC is ESPN. On Twitter and YouTube, Helwani hosts a program called Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show.
On ESPN +, he also serves as the host of “Ariel and the Bad Guy.” He also runs a podcast every Wednesday.
Additionally, he occasionally appears on NBA broadcasts on ESPN. The UFC and ESPN collaborated frequently for a long time.
As a result, Helwani’s objectivity and that of other ESPN personalities like Brett Okamoto always remains in doubt.
You may want to read Helwani’s articles at Sport Bible and Muck Rack. On Radio Net’s website, you can listen to his radio podcast.
Ariel Helwani | Awards and Recognition
Helwani might be anything, but he is not a journalist with no ability. The man has been demonstrating potential and a desire to work hard for years. He has received many honors and titles, all of which he richly deserves.
For several years following that, he held the title of MMA Journalist of the Year. At the 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 World MMA Awards, Helwani won the title.
Helwani was listed among the “Power 20” by FIGHT! Magazine in 2011. The individuals on the list are the most important leaders, influencers, ambassadors, and game-changers in MMA.
In addition, the magazine referred to him as the Howard Cosell of MMA.
And In a similar vein, at the beginning of 2015, he took home the 2014 Journalist of the Year honor at the Awakening WMMA Awards.
In addition to hosting two separate Helwani Nose Awards ceremonies in Chicago and Las Vegas, he has received honors. The event features current and former MMA fighters competing for the Nose World Order belt in a UFC trivia competition.
On Bleacher Report’s website, you can view a list of Helwani’s top 30 MMA interviews.
Ariel Helwani is married or not. Spouse and Kids
Jaclyn Stein is the wife of Ariel Helwani. She serves as the creative director for a number of jewelry companies, including ANZIE.
Together, Helwani and Stein are gorgeous. Childhood friends who later became lovers. Two sons and a daughter named Claire Helwani make up their family of three.
What is the wealth of Ariel Helwani? Income and Assets
As a journalist, Ariel Helwani has had a fruitful career. He has a great reputation and is regarded as one of the top professionals in his field.
Ariel is believed to be worth $8 million, per a number of sources.
His success as an MMA journalist is a direct result of his reputation and popularity.
In addition, Ariel has not disclosed the precise amount of his wealth. But for the time being, it appears that the journalist and his family are leading opulent and comfortable lives.
Social Media Presence:
Helwani is very active on his social media handles. You can follow him via these links:
Facebook account:108,255 followers
Instagram account: 1 million followers
Twitter account: 952.2K followers
Some FAQs:
What is the Ariel Helwani – Dana White issue?
Dana White, the current UFC president, did not like Helwanireporteing the revival of Brock Lesnar at UFC 20. Helwani had not notified the UFC about it earlier.
White further commented that Helwani was removed for being too negative.
Is Ariel Helwani a black belt?
Yes, Ariel Helwani is a black belt. Being in the MMA industry for such a long time, he must have developed an interest in the sport.
He gained the black belt in 2013. He announced the news via his social media accounts. Helwani wrote, “Just got my Metamoris “invitation. Holy moly, look at this thing. I’m finally a black belt.”
Why was Ariel Helwani fired from FOX?
Ariel Helwani mentioned in an interview that he was fired from FOX because UFC wanted him gone. He said,
“Fox dropped me because the UFC told it to. That’s a fact,”
What fighter freaked out on Ariel Helwani?
Jason “Mayhem” Miller, an American mixed martial arts fighter, freaked out on Ariel Helwani.
Did Ariel Helwani interview Roman Reigns?
Yes, Ariel Helwani interviewed Roman Reigns for BT Sport to talk about WWE SummerSlam.
Why does everyone hate Ariel Helwani?
Being active and famous in any field will bring a lot of attention, and there will be some people who will not like what you are doing.
According to sources, people hate Ariel Helwani because he often pushes too much on his questions or asks too personal stuff in his interviews.
Also, his complements and fighter introductions can seem a bit over the top, which leads people to think he is disingenuous. However, a lot of people like him too because of the same reason.
Did Ariel Helwani ever fight?
Ariel Helwani has been a part of MMA outside the octagon for a long time. But he has not been given a try to actually get into a fight.
He holds a black belt as well. It would be interesting to watch him wrestle.
Why did Ariel Helwani slam Brendan Schaub?
Ariel Helwani slammed Brendan Schaub and Joe Rogan for spreading rumors regarding his UFC ban.
Who will replace Aljamain Sterling at UFC 267 according to Ariel Helwani?
According to Ariel Helwani, Cory Sandhagen will replace Aljamain Sterling at UFC 267.
What did Ariel Helwani say on Twitter about Hunter Campbell?
Ariel Helwani tweeted a post about Hunter Campbell saying,
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