“The pettiness knows no bounds”

Ariel Helwani, one of the most respected voices in MMA media, has lashed out at ESPN following their promotional plugs for new shows ‘DC & RC’ and ‘The Chael Sonnen Show w/Jorge Sedano’ at UFC 264.

Whilst ESPN promoting their shows is not necessarily an issue for Helwani, it is the fact that during the years he worked for the sports channel/network he never once received his own promotional plugs.

However, Helwani only recently parted ways with ESPN, and the two shows in which he was a part of are already receiving a heavy increase in promotional advertising.

Speaking on the Le Batard and Friends Show, Helwani stated the following:

“The pettiness knows no bounds…. Because of what they did on Saturday, with the two shows that I had with Chael (Sonnen) and DC (Daniel Cormier), that I helped build, that I was the one promoting more than anyone.”

“I never got a single plug in my three years there. A single plug on any type of broadcast. Any type of broadcast, for three years. I stopped counting at the seventh plug on Saturday for their two new shows,” said Ariel Helwani.

Ariel Helwani vs. ESPN

Ariel Helwani continued to lay into ESPN and their actions over the weekend by stating:

“The pettiness to try to raise those shows because now I’m out, to try to put me down because I’m out, to try to continue to hurt me because I’m out, to put road blocks in front of me because I’m out, is laughable to me. I’m not going anywhere, I’m going to continue covering this sport. I’m going to continue doing it the right way and the fair way.”

Ariel Helwani also appeared to take shots at the new additions to ESPN’s UFC event coverage at UFC 264, namely Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman. Whilst he didn’t expressly mention them by name, Smith and Kellerman were both new faces at the event and drew significant backlash from many fans.

“They can bring their parade of sad sack fake journalists to their events all day long,” stated Ariel Helwani. “Do what they wanna do and bow down to them. I’ll be just fine with the people I’m working for: Fox, Ringer, Spotify, Substack, BT Sport. I’ll be just fine, not going anywhere.”