Reporter, staff removed from UFC 199 after Lesnar report

Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar will return to the Octagon as one of the headliners at UFC 200. Ariel Helwani, a reporter from MMAFighting.com and his staff, got their credentials “revoked” after Helwani reported the WWE superstar’s UFC comeback. AP

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — A reporter’s credentials were revoked during a UFC show Saturday night after he reported that WWE star and former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar was close to fighting again for the organization.

MMAfighting.com’s Ariel Helwani said on Twitter that he was escorted out of the UFC 199 show at the Forum before the main event, along with photographer Esther Lin and video director E. Casey Leydon.

“I was escorted out of the building by Zuffa staff before the main event. Credential taken away, too. Didn’t see Bisping realize his dream. My long-time colleagues @ekc and @allelbows were also escorted out of the building w/ me. Sorry to report no post-fight coverage tonight,” Helwani wrote on his Twitter account.

Helwani’s story on Lesnar appeared a few hours before the surprising return was made official. During the UFC 199 show, the UFC announced that Lesnar, mixed martial arts’ biggest pay-per-view star, will fight at UFC 200 in Las Vegas next month.

Helwani posted that he only reported news, didn’t do anything unethical and then was “told we’re banned for life.”

UFC spokesman Dave Sholler said the promotion believes that journalists should show professional courtesy by contacting the UFC for comment before reporting a story.

Helwani was recently removed from his role as a reporter for Fox Sports, the UFC’s corporate broadcast partner. He is among the most prominent journalists covering the sport, with more than 368,000 Twitter followers.

“I love this sport & this job with all my heart. Did nothing unethical. I reported fight news. That’s it. & then told we’re banned for life,” he posted. “My teammates and friends @Ekc and @allelbows are the very best at what they do. I wish they didn’t have to leave with me. They did nothing.”

“Here’s hoping cooler heads prevail. I sincerely love every fighter & fan of this sport. You have helped me realize a dream. Thank you.”

UFC President Dana White hasn’t publicly commented on the decision to ban Helwani. White didn’t attend the post-fight news conference at UFC 199. With a report from Randolph B. Leongson/INQUIRER.net