Ariel Helwani has at last laid all the rumors to rest and revealed his new partnership with Yahoo Sports.
The acclaimed combat sports journalist announced last week that he had "decided to move on" from Vox Media and Spotify as his three-year contracts with both companies came to an end on Thursday. While Helwani admitted it was tough to decline the offers from his former employers, he remained tight-lipped about his next move.
On Tuesday morning, Helwani announced his latest venture on X, partnering with Yahoo Sports to launch a brand new combat sports platform, encompassing MMA, boxing, and pro wrestling. The new platform, named Uncrowned, is set to cover all aspects of combat sports.
In a major update, Helwani also revealed the expansion of his show, now officially titled The Ariel Helwani Show. The Canadian journalist further disclosed that he will be taking on the roles of executive producer and executive editor, reclaiming full ownership of all his content and overseeing all operations.
I’m extremely excited to announce that I am partnering with @yahoosports
to launch a brand new combat sports vertical. MMA, boxing, pro wrestling. The works. The spot? http://uncrowned.com," Helwani tweeted. "In addition, my show, now (finally) entitled “The Ariel Helwani Show,” is expanding. More days. More content. Same time. Same format. New NYC studio.
Helwani built his career at MMA Fighting and Fox Sports before making the jump to ESPN in 2018, coinciding with the network's seven-year deal with the UFC. His relationship with the UFC has been tumultuous, notably when he was banned from covering the promotion after prematurely breaking the news of Brock Lesnar's return at UFC 200 in July 2016.
Though UFC CEO Dana White initially imposed what was described as a "lifetime" ban, it was lifted just weeks later. However, tensions between White and Helwani have persisted, leading to several other clashes over the years.