Why is Ariel Helwani leaving ESPN?
ARIEL Helwani is a sports journalist who is primarily known for his coverage of mixed martial arts.
Helwani, 38, has been covering MMA for ESPN since June 2018.
Who is Ariel Helwani?
Helwani is famously known for his 2016 breaking news story about former UFC Heavyweight Champion 's return to .
In 2016, while still working for MMAFighting.com, Helwani broke the news that Lesnar was close to finalizing a deal to return at UFC 200, despite still being active in the .
Helwani's news scoop earned him an ejection from the event venue and a lifetime ban from covering future UFC live events.
The UFC faced major backlash from the media community as well as fans and eventually reinstated Helwani's media credentials.
“I have a lot of respect for what ESPN stands for and a lot of respect for the people there and I’m truly grateful for what they gave me and the opportunities they gave me.
"We thank Ariel for his many contributions to ESPN's MMA coverage and beyond.
We had hoped to have him continue in that role and made him an offer to remain with ESPN. He chose to explore new opportunities and we wish him the best."
According to The Post's Marchand, citing sources, Helwani may be headed to the Action Network to continue his MMA reporting career, but the journalist has yet to sign a contract.