"I was picked on so much as a young kid" - Anthony Smith admits to enjoying seeing Ariel Helwani speak up against top UFC stars

Ariel Helwani's recent on-air spat with Chael Sonnen is the hot new topic in the MMA world. Although the duo largely share an excellent professional rapport, their recent segment together was undoubtedly contentious.

During a recent episode of The MMA Hour, Helwani and Sonnen were discussing the recently concluded crossover boxing bout between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury when things suddenly turned sour.

Catch a sneak peek of their interaction below:

After the topic of 'The Predator's' pay for the super fight was brought into the conversation, things took a turn for the worse, with the discussion turning into a heated argument, even prompting a physical threat from the former UFC fighter.

After a few minutes of back and forth with both men accusing the other of dishonesty, Sonnen abruptly ended the interview, leaving Helwani to wonder whether the former fighter was genuinely enraged.

Despite the unpleasantries, light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith is elated with Ariel Helwani taking a stand against the former UFC star. During a segment on Michael Bisping's Believe You Me podcast, 'Lionheart' said:

"I think because I was picked on so much as a young kid and kind of bullied a little bit, I think we've seen a lot of years of people kind of bullying and running over Ariel a little bit, he never really said anything. So, I think I enjoy seeing him push back. Whether he is right or wrong depends on the scenario. But I do enjoy watching him push back."

Catch Anthony Smith's comments below (5:37):

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Ariel Helwani turns Chael Sonnen's iconic lines against him

Chael Sonnen is arguably one of the best trash talkers in MMA history, and as such, his esteemed career is filled with iconic one-liners and infamous callouts. However, one of his famous lines has backfired on him in the wake of his heated interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour.

It looks like Helwani is in no rush to put the feud to rest. In a recent update on X, the MMA reporter turned Sonnen's iconic line against him by posting:

"One more in the win column. One more for the highlight reel. And one more for … the good guy. Love ya, @ChaelSonnen. See you next week!"