What led to Ariel Helwani’s infamous beef with Dana White? Revisiting the genesis and intensity of their rift

One of the oddest rifts in MMA doesn't involve fighters, but instead UFC promoter Dana White and popular MMA reporter Ariel Helwani.

The rift is believed to have started in 2016 at UFC 199 when Helwani reported that former UFC heavyweight champion and then WWE superstar Brock Lesnar would be returning to the promotion and would be added to UFC 200. The news was reported prior to the UFC 200 video package airing, which featured Lesnar followed by an event graphic announcing his return.

The UFC president was obviously upset that the surprise was spoiled but didn't exactly handle it in the best possible way. The Canadian MMA reporter was issued with a ban, and his credentials were removed. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and The MMA Hour host's ban was lifted.

Since then, the relationship between the two hasn't been great. On a number of occasions, Helwani revealed that White was upset about ESPN hiring him and tried to nix the deal before it even began.

This past December, the rift was rekindled after lightweight fighter Paddy Pimblett and the UFC president took shots at The MMA Hour host during an episode of 'The Baddy's podcast. It didn't end well as Helwani responded to the comments on his show and, at the same time, gained the support of many fighters and media members in the MMA community.

The year 2023 kicked off with the Canadian weighing in on what transpired between the UFC president and his wife at a nightclub on New Year's Eve. He ended the segment by raising the same question that White raised to him when he was emotional after his credentials were removed: "What are your kids gonna say about you?"

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Ariel Helwani and Dana White were cordial at one time

Despite the longstanding rift between Ariel Helwani and Dana White, there was a time when they were cordial and friendly with each other.

Some of White's most entertaining interviews were with The MMA Hour host, and they've had many hilarious exchanges in the past. One of their most memorable exchanges saw White argue that Anderson Silva was the top pound-for-pound fighter over Fedor Emelianenko.

The UFC president was adamant that Silva was fighting the top competition in the UFC, while 'The Last Emperor' was competing against lower caliber opponents. It was a spirited conversation as White believed that 'The Spider' was undoubtedly the best fighter in the world at the time.