Ariel Helwani has urged Dana White to imitate the NBA. Basketball fans have witnessed retired legends of the sport getting felicitated amidst their coveted events. Even the noted MMA coverage persona, Ariel Helwani, has been through such heartwarming incidents himself, when the NFL authorities invited the “top 50” or “top 75” retired stars of the sport to honor them.
Recently, Helwani engaged in a conversation with the former UFC flyweight champ, Demetrious Johnson, and expressed that the UFC should also follow the NBA and NFL’s path in this regard. He further specified that inviting the “top 30” UFC fighters in the history of the promotion may illuminate the stage of UFC 300 even more.
UFC fighters like Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping have found ways to continue their tenure in the promotion even after their in-octagon retirement. But that isn’t true for several former UFC athletes like Spencer Fischer and others. The NBA has always been one step ahead of the UFC with its ‘National Basketball Legends’ programs to ensure the smooth livelihood of their athletes, even after their on-field retirement.
Looking at the NBA’s programs and felicitations for their retired athletes, Helwani’s demand may look like a pretty meager one. He said,
“The NBA does this all the time. [They bring in] the top 50- players, the top 75 players. I’d love if they [UFC authorities] brought out the top 30 fighters.”
Helwani also counted ‘Mighty Mouse’ inside the list of “top 30” UFC fighters whom he would like to see at a similar ceremony someday. However, such examples already exist in the MMA realm itself.
Bellator MMA had implemented Ariel Helwani’s plans in one of their major events
MMA icon, Fedor Emilianenko, is one of the most respected figures in the history of MMA. Most fans may know that ‘The Last Emperor’ declared his retirement on February 4, 2023, after his fight against Ryan Bader at Bellator 290. This was also the event where Bellator MMA showcased a real-life implementation of Helwani’s plans for UFC 300.
The Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, became ‘A sky full of stars’ on February 4, 2023 as several former UFC legends like Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, and several others graced the Bellator 290. Thus, with Helwani advocating for the same, UFC fans would also love to witness a similar procession of the UFC legends inside the octagon amidst an event someday.
