Fans watching Netflix’s first-ever MMA event noticed something unusual almost immediately. The show’s pacing did not resemble a normal UFC broadcast at all, especially during the post-fight interviews, which often lasted significantly longer than what fight fans are used to hearing after a bout ends.
As criticism began to appear online, several viewers specifically targeted Ariel Helwani for dragging out conversations inside the cage. Helwani has now responded to the backlash himself. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, the veteran MMA broadcaster said that the extended interviews were not really his decision. Instead, the decision was MVP’s to make.
“I did see a couple comments about the post-fight interviews being longer than usual,” he said on his show. “Allow me to explain. They’re telling me in my ear because the fights are going very, very quick.
“They’re telling me to keep going, keep going, keep going, because, you know, this is the way they block things out.”
Ariel Helwani added that fans have simply grown accustomed to the UFC’s broadcast structure as the promotion has been the “gold standard” for MMA production over the years.
“The UFC is a well-oiled machine, and they do things a certain way that we’re all very used to because we consume it every week, week after week after week,” he continued. “They are the gold standard, but we are accustomed to their way of doing things. And so when something is a little bit different, I know that it seems a little bit jarring.
“We saw that with Strikeforce, Elite XC, even with PFL and Bellator. But I’m not just freestyling up there. They’re telling me to keep going. I’m happy to keep going. Kind of the boxing model, if you will, for the post-fight interviews. That was the only real thing that I saw that I thought was worth addressing.”
And, honestly, when you look at the numbers, the situation makes far more sense. Despite having 11 fights, the entire Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card lasted only 1 hour, 28 minutes, and 24 seconds when it comes to total fight time. Eight fights ended before the judges were needed, out of which five bouts ended in the very first round.
Ronda Rousey submitted Gina Carano in 17 seconds, and Francis Ngannou knocked out Philipe Lins early in Round 1. With fights ending quickly all night, the production team found itself with significantly more broadcast time to fill than expected.
Still, despite the online complaints, Ariel Helwani claimed the event was the most fun he’d ever had working a fight card in his career.
“But I got to tell you right here and now that was the most fun that I’ve ever had in my career,” he added. “The most fun. As far as fights are concerned, I don’t know if I’ve ever had more fun doing the post-fight interviews and going to the desk and working with all these great people.”
Considering the situation, it is fair Helwani did what he was asked to. However, the length of the post-fight interviews wasn’t the only thing that had fans up in arms. It was also the quality that was questioned by fight fans, especially after the MMA journalist interviewed ‘The Predator’ after his knockout win.
Ariel Helwani gets scrutinized for dragging Jon Jones into the mix
That criticism intensified after Ariel Helwani interviewed Francis Ngannou following his first-round knockout of Philipe Lins. Instead of focusing on just the finish, Helwani quickly mentioned Jon Jones, who was sitting cageside as a member of the Netflix broadcast team.
He pointed ‘Bones’ out to Ngannou and asked about the idea of finally putting the long-awaited heavyweight match together under the MVP banner. ‘The Predator’ entertained the idea almost immediately.
“What I said before, Jon Jones is a great fighter, probably the best that has ever done MMA,” Ngannou replied. “But I think in terms of business, he has something to learn.
“He should be watching what I’m doing and learn, and if he gets it now, he should be able to figure it out and come and make this fight. Because this fight is gonna happen before we retire.”
That became even more interesting after ‘Bones’ later admitted that getting out of his UFC contract would be the biggest obstacle. Given how long fans have waited for Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou, the clip instantly took over MMA discussions online.
And that is exactly where the backlash began. Several fans questioned why he was promoting a bout that still seems impossible given Jon Jones still has at least one more fight left in his UFC contract and Dana White‘s issues with Francis Ngannou that saw the UFC CEO trying to one-up ‘The Predator’ even last night.
Still, whether fans liked the question or not, Ariel Helwani clearly understood that Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou remains one of the biggest “what if” fights in MMA history. And asking that question, to be fair, doesn’t seem to be that out of the ordinary considering the two giants were at the same place and at the same time.
