Ariel Helwani often seems to find himself at the center of controversy in the MMA world. Not long ago, he was embroiled in an intense feud with Dana White and UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett. This time, another UFC employee has landed on Helwani’s radar. Namely, the host of the world’s biggest podcast, Joe Rogan.
Recently, the UFC commentator and analyst had UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad on his podcast. The two UFC personalities had a long conversation on the JRE about a multitude of topics. One of those was Sean Brady and the alleged threats he received on his wife’s social media.
Joe and Belal were discussing Brady’s retelling of this incident. And that’s when Jamie, part of the JRE team, interrupted the two. He informed them that Sean Brady revealed this to the masses on Ariel Helwani’s show. This in turn prompted Rogan to remark, “Ariel Helwani likes to get people to say things.”
This one-off comment by Rogan, even if it was in jest is not something Helwani was too pleased by. After all, Ariel is one of the most influential voices in the MMA community. Despite his rocky relationship with Dana White, no feud with Joe Rogan was reported before this. And Helwani did not shy away from making his feelings known about Joe’s unwarranted attack.
Ariel Helwani responded to Joe Rogan on the MMA Hour
Ariel Helwani is not someone who lets others badmouth him without firing back with some shots of his own. His affinity for verbal smackdowns has led MMA fans to coin the phrase “Ariel 10-7”. The most infamous recipient of one of Helwani’s wrath is former UFC fighter, Brendan Schaub.
So naturally, after Joe Rogan’s unprompted attack on him, Ariel didn’t mince his words. He said on the MMA Hour, “…coming from the guy who was pushing false narratives and false information and fake information and all kinds of nonsense over the past two years to the point where people were demanding that he get dropped from Spotify.”
“We know what the history is with Joe. He’s Dana’s boy; he’s always gonna have his back.” continued Helwani. The renowned journalist also denied Rogan’s claims that he makes people say things. Helwani clarified, “I ask questions, people answer them, I move on.” Joe Rogan has not responded to Helwani’s retort yet.
Ariel Helwani is the gold standard of MMA journalism. And Rogan’s close friend, Brendan Schaub, certainly learned the hard way why beefing with him is a bad idea. But was this another Ariel 10-7? Is the feud over? Or will Joe Rogan retaliate against the Canadian journalist?
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