Hustle and Grow: An MMA Journalist's Story of Sticking to Your Guns

Success may come to those who wait, but judging from Ariel Helwani’s trajectory to fame, it also comes for those who hustle. As the premier journalist for Mixed Martial Arts, Ariel’s journey hasn’t always been an easy one. His intense commitment to truth and integrity in reporting has gotten him in hot water more than once, most notably in 2016 when he broke a story and was escorted out of the event at which he was broadcasting, told his credentials to cover any UFC event was stripped for life. After a huge uproar from fans and fighters, Ariel’s credentials were re-instated and he was hired for his self-proclaimed dream job at ESPN.


Ariel now hosts the weekly ESPN+ show, “Ariel and the Bad Guy”, as well as his tremendously popular livestream podcast, “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show”. He also covers for broadcast all MMA events across ESPN digital and television platforms, as well as several NCAA basketball games for ESPN.


Known by many in the sport as the GOAT in MMA journalism, Ariel’s story of grit, hustle and integrity under pressure is a knock out. Hear how he wrote his future - and you can, too.