Ariel Helwani Joins Yahoo’s New Combat Sports Vertical

Editors’ note: This story was updated on Aug. 20 after Yahoo’s official announcement. 

Ariel Helwani is officially headed to Yahoo Sports and will be at the center of Uncrowned, a new combat sports media band. 

Yahoo Sports announced a multiyear partnership with Helwani on Tuesday, a day after Front Office Sports reported Helwani and Yahoo Sports were in advanced discussions.

“When I began this journey over 20 years ago, the goal was to be much more than just another sports journalist,” Helwani said in a statement. “This deal signifies a major milestone toward that goal. I’ve always wanted to own my content and I’ve always wanted to lead. And we are finally here, with the great Yahoo Sports by my side. What a dream.”

Helwani told his followers on X last week that he “decided to move on” from Vox Media and Spotify at the conclusion of his three-year deals with both companies. Those deals expired Thursday and Helwani had offers to renew both. 

SB Nation owns MMA Hour, the show Helwani hosted on the Vox Media–owned platform. With Yahoo, Helwani will host The Ariel Helwani Show alongside Eric Jackman, Conner Burks, Frank Lenz, and Petesy Carroll.

“I’ve had the great privilege of working alongside Ariel before and am thrilled to be able to do that again, at Yahoo Sports, and to build the leading combat site and community together,” Yahoo Sports president  Ryan Spoon said in a statement. 

Helwani, a Quebec native, covered the Paris Games for the CBC, but he is most known for his MMA reporting and hosting duties. He worked for SB Nation’s MMA Fighting and Fox Sports before joining ESPN in 2018, the same year the network entered into a seven-year deal with UFC. 

Helwani was banned from covering UFC after he correctly reported that Brock Lesnar would return to fight in UFC 200 in 2016. That supposed “lifetime” ban issued by UFC president Dana White was lifted a short time later, although White and Helwani had other run-ins in the years since.