Ariel Helwani shares honest thoughts on "outspoken" Irish soccer legend Roy Keane

Renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani is one of the more recognisable personalities in the sport. In particular, he often finds himself in hot water with UFC president Dana White thanks to his somewhat outspoken nature.

Recently, Helwani demonstrated that not only is he a person who likes to speak his mind, he’s also a fan of other people who do the same.

However, few fans would’ve predicted the name of the fellow outspoken character he praised in an interview for Irish television show RTE Today – soccer legend turned pundit Roy Keane.

When asked about the former Manchester United and Ireland midfielder, Helwani had the following to say:

“He’s a pundit I know...he’s very controversial at times, he’s very outspoken, but I enjoy people like that so I have no issue with him...I know he’s a little polarising here but I say, go on Roy Keane.”

Keane recently hit the news by labelling his old rivals Arsenal “physically and mentally shot” during their defeat at the hands of Brighton this past weekend. The result effectively ended Arsenal’s hopes of being crowned Premier League champions.

As for Ariel Helwani, he recently spoke out about his issues with Dana White and suggested that he had hopes that he could rekindle his friendship with the UFC president in the future.

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Ariel Helwani Roy Keane: Is Ariel a fan of soccer?

Ariel Helwani is known as a well-renowned MMA journalist, but does he also follow soccer? Surprisingly enough, the answer appears to be yes.

Back in August 2022, Helwani took to his Twitter to reveal that he’d decided to go “all in” on soccer fandom, and he later stated that he’d decided to support Nottingham Forest:

“I really like Nottingham Forest...it feels like Robin Hood, there’s a nostalgia factor there. Are we ridin with Nottingham Forest? The logo is great! I’m feeling something inside when I look at this...I’m feeling invested. Road trip to Nottingham Forest? I’m all in!”

The MMA journalist was later seen talking to his “favourite player”, Forest winger Brennan Johnson, before their game against Manchester City in February.

Coincidentally, Roy Keane also played for Nottingham Forest before his move to Manchester United in 1993.