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Ariel Helwani recently disclosed a piece of insider information regarding Dana White's role in the inner workings of the UFC.
Over the years, White has been the face of the promotion, with his name being synonymous with the UFC brand. For that reason, many believe that the UFC president is the be-all and end-all behind every major decision the company makes.
However, Helwani claimed that White rarely involves himself in the nitty-gritty of matchmaking these days. During a recent episode of The MMA Hour, Helwani provided fans with a glimpse of what UFC matchmaking is like.
"Mick [Maynard] has heavyweights, light heavyweights, and middleweights and I believe welterweights," Helawani said. "[Sean] Shelby has, I think, '25, '35, '45, '55. Mick also has the women. And then for the really, really big fights, obviously Dana and [Hunter Campbell] are involved."
Helwani said that out of all the matchmakers, Hunter Campbell is the one handling negotiations, especially for high-profile fights. The renowned combat sports journalist added:
"The one who is probably involved the most, especially in the big fights, is Hunter. Hunter is the one doing the negotiations. He's the one really on the phone lines, especially for the big fights. Like the Nate Diaz situation, you know, the Jon Jones and Stipe [Miocic] – all of that is Hunter. It's very, very rare that Dana gets involved in the negotiations. It's very rare that he's on the frontlines, that he's getting his hands dirty."
Catch Ariel Helwani's comments below:
Ariel Helwani recalls the moment Dana White talked about his kids
It's no secret that Ariel Helwani and UFC president Dana White are not on good terms.
Since his exit from ESPN MMA, the MMA reporter has been vocal about the poor treatment White has given him over the years. However, Helwani said that there was one thing White did that went too far, in his opinion – talking about his kids.
On the March 23, 2022, edition of The MMA Hour, Helwani recalled when White talked about him during an episode of UFC Unfiltered. According to Helwani:
"Anyone can say whatever they want, but he was on a podcast – I think it was UFC [Unfiltered] – and he was talking about the episode where I got emotional and he said… ‘One day his kids are going to look at him on camera and see him crying and see what kind of a weak person he is’… and nothing p****d me off more than that. Don’t mention my kids, don’t mention my family. I have never mentioned yours."
Watch Ariel Helwani's response to Dana White:
