Fans were in for a massive surprise at UFC 306 when they spotted MMA journalist Ariel Helwani in attendance at The Sphere. For those aware of Helwani’s history with the UFC and Dana Whiteclosely, this was a jaw-dropping moment. Helwani, one of the sport’s biggest journalists, has been persona non grata at UFC events since Dana White banned him back in 2016 after he leaked details about UFC 200.
So, seeing him at UFC 306 was something no one saw coming. Fans couldn’t help but wonder, “How did Dana let this happen?”.
Helwani was banned from all UFC events in June 2016 following the conclusion of UFC 199 because he allegedly leaked the news of Brock Lesnar’s return, potentially headlining UFC 200 before the company could announce it themselves.
This was the final straw for White who then banned Helwani from attending all UFC events in the future. Therefore, since 2016, the biggest journalist in the sport has not been able to attend a single event… until now.
Helwani recently posted a picture at the Sphere with the title, “Pretty cool”.
This left fans both confused and shocked as to what was going on.
One fan said, “Ariel did Dana try to banish you to the nosebleeds?”
Ariel did Dana try to banish you to the nosebleeds?
— Fan (@undercoverNBA) September 14, 2024
Another fan added, “There’s no way this is a one and done event after tonight.”
There’s no way this is a one and done event after tonight
— Jigga (@locotron2591) September 14, 2024
“they let you in?”- commented a fan
they let you in?
— John Bongiorno (@johnbongiorno92) September 14, 2024
“Gonna be crazy when the show starts. That’s insane.”– commented another fan waiting in awe.
Gonna be crazy when the show starts. That’s insane.
— IFlowmann (@iflowmannMMA) September 14, 2024
Naturally, with Helwani in question, the biggest question remains, is the beef squashed? And if so, how did it happen?
Turki Alalshikh, Ariel’s new friend
Turki Alalshikh, the powerhouse behind Saudi Arabia’s rise in the combat sports scene, has been ready to step in as the peacemaker between Ariel Helwani and Dana White for quite some time now.
In a recent MMA Tour video, Alalshikh sent a direct message to Helwani, expressing his desire to see the long-standing feud come to an end. “It’s time to turn the page,” he says, offering to sit down with both Helwani and Dana at a future event.
Confident in his plan, Alalshikh believes Dana is a “smart guy” and thinks the UFC president might finally be ready to bury the hatchet.
Alalshikh is in attendance at UFC Noche and could it be that he has finally squashed one of the biggest beefs in the history of the sport?
Well, Dana White truly does hate Ariel Helwani. But if he can’t do much about it since Alalshikh brings in the big bucks, maybe he can just hire Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson to follow Helwani around while he’s in the building. That would make great behind the scenes content as well!
