Canadian MMA journalist Ariel Helwani came under fire from Jamahal Hill for criticising him in an earlier this week interview with Jiri Prochazka.
Jamahal Hill expressed his frustration with Ariel Helwani, accusing the journalist of misrepresenting him during the interview with Jiri Prochazka. Hill took issue with the compliments Helwani directed towards Prochazka for relinquishing the title without taking any shots. The implication seemed to suggest that Hill had acted in the opposite manner.
Surprised at the perceived mischaracterization, Hill challenged Helwani to back up his claims with evidence. He vehemently denied ever being disrespectful towards Prochazka.
He said: “Be a man, bro, cause that seems to be a hard thing for you. Where did I say it at? Where was I disrespectful? Where did I do anything ill towards him other than wish him well?… Ask Jiri what I said to him when I talked to him. I’m not fake, I don’t have no reason to play fake or nice in nobody’s face. That’s not my thing, we see who’s thing it is though.”
As the disagreement escalated, Hill held nothing back in his criticism of Ariel Helwani. He openly expressed his discontent and referred to Helwani as a “snake” and went as far as labeling him as weak and pathetic.
He said: “Ariel, you did what you did, bro, I don’t f*ck with you at all. You a snake. I think you really a bi*ch, bro. You weak and you’re really pathetic, bro.”
Jamahal Hill’s frustration over Ariel Helwani’s remarks came on the heels of a significant setback in his career. Just a month prior, Hill was forced to relinquish his UFC light heavyweight title due to an Achilles tendon injury.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Hill announced his decision to step down from the title. He clarified that he did so to avoid holding up the division’s progress and to ensure that the division remained engaging and entertaining for the fans.
He said: “He [Jiri Prochazka] gave up the title…To not hold the division up, to keep the division moving forward, to keep entertaining to make sure the people had a champion, and I’ll do the same.”