Ariel Helwani wants to squash the beef after receiving threatening comments from former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill.
Hill vacated his title after rupturing his Achilles tendon in June, derailing the chance to see a much-anticipated matchup between him and former champion Jiri Prochazka.
Helwani took the opportunity to speak to Prochazka on the July 31 episode of "The MMA Hour," where he probed Prochazka for his opinions on Hill's withdrawal and for comparisons between Hill and Alex Pereira. Prochazka awkwardly answered Helwani's questions, where he alluded to Hill's supposed weight gain being a factor in his injury, amongst other things.
Hill took exception to the interview, taking to his own YouTube podcast where he called Helwani out for using "dirty sneaky tactics," alleging that he wasn't just "another dumb fighter," and that Helwani won't run verbal circles around him.
“Ariel you did what you did bro. I don’t f*** with you at all,” Hill said. “You a snake. I think you’re really a b**** bro. You weak and you’re really pathetic bro.”
Hill did not mince words and even went as far as to suggest that things may not end well for Helwani should the two meet up.
“You keep disrespecting me and disrespecting my name, I’m gonna come see about you," Hill remarked. "Eventually, at some point, we’re going to be in the same room.”
Helwani jumped at the chance to respond, quickly addressing Hill during his "DAZN Boxing Special" Livestream on August 3. In an attempt to calm the situation down, Helwani invited the disgruntled ex-champion to discuss the issues face-to-face.
“I would like to extend an invitation to you to come in studio, on my program and we can hash it out," Helwani said. "Mano y mano. Man to man. We could talk about the issues and hopefully, we can squash the beef. I would love that opportunity.”
The MMA Hour host said he would be open to having Hill on anytime that worked --- and perhaps in an effort to protect himself --- mentioned that the former champ could even join the show via Zoom instead of in person.
This isn't the first drama Helwani has had with prominent members of the fighting industry. Most notably, Helwani has a long-standing feud with UFC President Dana White, which has even resulted in Helwani being evacuated from spaces White was set to appear in.
Helwani has also had verbal spats with Brendan Schaub, Ali Abdelaziz, Paddy Pimblett, and many more individuals; this drama is nothing new for the face of MMA journalism.
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