Popular MMA journalist Ariel Helwani recently expressed his discontent with Dana White’s comments following UFC Vegas 73.
White criticized Francis Ngannou’s move to the PFL.
Helwani, in turn, criticized White for his remarks this past weekend on an episode of The MMA Hour. Helwani pointed out that White inaccurately portrayed Ngannou as an inactive competitor, disrespecting the former heavyweight champion and the PFL.
Helwani highlighted Ngannou’s combat sports record to counter White’s claims. He emphasized that between February 2019 and January 2022, Ngannou competed five times.
“Between February of 2019 and January of 2022, which is three years, he fought five times. Now he hasn’t fought in 18 months because he’s coming off ACL surgery and was a free agent and had to deal with all that. So to frame that he hasn’t fought, he fights once every year…is a bullsh*t way of framing all of this.”
After that, Helwani brought up how White continued mentioning that Ngannou had been released from the organization. Helwani clarified that Ngannou completed his UFC contract and declined their offer while negotiating a new deal.
Helwani went on to say: “Like, literally, that guy [Francis Ngannou] put his life on the line multiple times, was put in detention centers multiple times, had to jump off rafts, had to swim…had to live homeless. That guy doesn’t wanna take risks? What are we talking about now? This has become so ridiculous.”
Additionally, Ariel Helwani addressed Dana White’s claims regarding PFL allegedly receiving investment from the Middle East.
“The investment from the Middle East, that is true as well and that is close. How is that a sign that they don’t know what they’re doing? In fact, if there is someone out there that is willing to pay them $300 million, that means that there’s people out there that believe in them.”
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