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UFC fighters are athletes. Thus, their work is at the mercy of public scrutiny. Fans, other fighters and journalists all field their opinions on how a specific fighter performed inside the octagon. Sometimes, fighters receive praise, but other times they receive criticism.
In other cases, MMA fighters are at the center of scandals outside the cage. The likes of Conor McGregor and Jon Jones are infamous for their inability to stay out of trouble. They often find themselves on the wrong side of the law. The most courageous journalists cover these controversies and fight off the ire of their fans.
Due to the various circumstances under which journalists cover the things that fighters do, sometimes the two worlds clash. Fighters might be unhappy about criticism they feel is unfair. Athletes and journalists have always had a contentious relationship, and this list details five such incidents in MMA.
#5. UFC lightweight Terrance McKinney vs. Robbie Fox
Terrance McKinney is an exciting prospect in the lightweight division. The 155'er is a tall and rangy power-puncher with youth and athleticism on his side. Unfortunately, he has certain technical deficiencies that were recently highlighted in his loss against Ismael Bonfim.
'T Wrecks' frequently drops his lead hand after throwing punches, rendering him unable to parry or block his foe's counters. He also tends to duck far too low to evade left hooks, which led to him ducking into Ismael Bonfim's flying knee. The resulting KO loss was covered by Barstool Sports journalist Robbie Fox.
Fox wrote an article that seemed to poke fun at McKinney. The headline mentioned how he was knocked out after claiming Barstool didn't know about sports. The article further taunts 'T Wrecks' for chasing a bout with Paddy Pimblett and claiming that his distaste for them is because they sponsor 'The Baddy.'
This led to a brief spat on social media between McKinney and Fox, with Fox ultimately claiming that no one at Barstool was a journalist before they squashed their beef.
#4. UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett vs. Ariel Helwani
Paddy Pimblett and Ariel Helwani have never seen eye to eye. As the most well-known journalist in the MMA world, Helwani is responsible for giving UFC fighters some of their most visible interviews. When he tried to schedule an interview with 'The Baddy,' however, things didn't go as planned.
The former Cage Warriors fighter's manager demanded a fee for the interview, which Helwani flatly rejected. Since then, the rising lightweight has expressed his distaste for the host of the MMA Hour. In a sitdown with Dana White on his own YouTube channel, 'The Baddy' unleashed his enmity.
He criticized Helwani for making money off of fighters and criticizing White and the UFC's controversial pay structure. He also claimed that Helwani has been fired from every job he's ever had. The criticism earned the MMA Hour host's attention, who responded to 'The Baddy's' claims by refuting them.
#3. UFC heavyweight Jon Jones vs. Izabelle Kostic
Long before he officially announced his intention to fight in the heavyweight division, Jon Jones was the most dominant force in the 205 lbs weight class. At UFC 232, 'Bones' faced Alexander Gustafsson in a rematch for the then vacant light heavyweight throne.
The bout was initially scheduled to take place at the T-Mobile Arena. But irregularities surrounding a past positive drug test from Jones forced the UFC to move the PPV to Inglewood. While the NSAC didn't have enough time to look into the matter to clear Jones for the event, the CSAC was willing to clear him.
At a pre-fight press conference, Swedish journalist Izabelle Kostic questioned the UFC and 'Bones' on the matter. She pressed them both on why there was yet another scandal involving Jones and banned substances. The former 205'er tried to brush the question aside, but Kostic persisted.
She asked Dana White why 'Bones' was allowed to fight considering that Frank Mir once earned a two-year ban for a similar incident. In classic fashion, the UFC president claimed he couldn't understand the question, while Jones attacked her pedigree as a journalist by asking for her microphone to be taken.
He demanded better journalism and incited the surrounding crowd into booing Kostic. While Jones later issued an apology to Kostic, his behavior was widely criticized by the media.
#2. UFC lightweight Conor McGregor vs. Josh Cohen
Conor McGregor stepped into UFC 264 ready to wage war. The Irishman resorted to his vitriolic brand of trash talk in an attempt to unnerve his opponent Dustin Poirier. At the UFC 264 pre-fight press conference, 'The Notorious' expressed absolute confidence in his ability to defeat 'The Diamond.'
A journalist in the audience, however, took exception. John Cohen rose to internet infamy by openly questioning the Irishman. He asked why fans should take his word considering he has only won a single fight since Barack Obama was the United States president.
He punctuated his comments by highlighting that the former featherweight's only win was against Donald Cerrone, who at the time had zero wins in his last six fights. This drew Conor McGregor's ire as he shouted at him, telling him to shut up and threatening to smash his nose.
#1. UFC heavyweight Jon Jones vs. Luke Thomas
The exact reason behind Jon Jones' hatred for Luke Thomas remains a mystery in MMA. The former 205'er expressed his negative feelings about the journalist at a pre-fight press conference for UFC 214. The PPV was headlined by 'Bones' and his arch-rival Daniel Cormier.
At a press conference organized to promote the bout, the heavyweight debutant was asked for his thoughts on his twenties and whether he thought they were good or bad. The question came from Luke Thomas, one of the most well-known journalists in the MMA sphere.
Jones' response couldn't have been any clearer than it was. He flatly told Thomas that he didn't like him, therefore he would not answer his question. Rumors have circulated that the beef stems from Thomas criticizing Jones' driving due to the latter's numerous brushes against the law, some of which involve cars.
