The long-running feud between Dana White and Ariel Helwani has flared up once again. This time, over a question surrounding one of the fights on the UFC 322 card. So, what happened? Well, the event is shaping up to be a stacked night, headlined by two major title fights. Jack Della Maddalena will make his first welterweight title defense against former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, while Valentina Shevchenko puts her flyweight crown on the line against Zhang Weili.

The undercard is equally loaded, featuring Sean Brady vs. Michael Morales, Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates, and Beneil Dariush vs. Benoit Saint Denis—a lineup that promises non-stop action. However, during Thursday’s press conference in New York City, UFC CEO Dana White fielded questions from reporters, and one of them pushed him to confirm that Brady vs. Morales is now a title eliminator. The response from White, however, didn’t sit well with journalist Ariel Helwani.

Ariel Helwani goes off at Dana White

During the presser, Sean Brady and Michael Morales were on stage with the UFC CEO when a reporter pressed Dana White about whether the winner of their fight would earn a shot at the welterweight title. Ged I. Goodman shared the clip on X, showing White quickly agreeing to the idea and effectively turning the matchup into a title eliminator. “Sure,” he said. The moment soon caught the attention of Ariel Helwani, who reacted on X soon afterward.

The journalist fired shots at White, arguing that Brady should already be next in line for the title. “These guys DREAM of being champions. DREAM of fighting for the belt,” Helwani wrote. He added that whether these fights materialize depends on only a select few people, continuing, “Brady should already be next for the belt and he gets a ‘sure lol’ response to this question with the same delivery as someone replying whether they want lemon with their soda.”

As a reminder, UFC matchmaking is ultimately decided by a small group led by UFC President Dana White and Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell, with the final decisions coming from the top. White and Helwani, once close allies, have been at odds for years. Their relationship famously soured in 2016 when Helwani broke the news of Brock Lesnar’s UFC 200 return ahead of schedule, prompting White to ban him for life.

Although the ban was later lifted, their feud only escalated in the years that followed. Regardless, despite White’s confirmation, there’s another contender who could end up fighting the winner of Islam vs. ‘JDM.’

Islam Makhachev wants to fight Kamaru Usman

Islam Makhachev has made it clear that moving up to welterweight isn’t just about collecting another belt—it’s about building a legacy. Ahead of his UFC 322 showdown with Jack Della Maddalena, the lightweight champion revealed the exact name he wants next if he captures the 170-pound title: former welterweight king Kamaru Usman.

“After Jack, Kamaru,” Makhachev said during a Kick stream with Adin Ross. “He has the most title defenses in the welterweight division, and now he’s in a good position.” Despite Kamaru Usman having only fought once in the last two years, Makhachev still sees him as the kind of opponent who would elevate his resume.

Usman, for his part, is more than open to the matchup. “I’m sitting here looking at the winner like, ‘All right, let’s run it,’” he told MMA Junkie, adding that he wants “the biggest, most challenging fights out there.”

Having said that, only time will tell who the UFC decides to pit against the winner of Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena. But who do you think deserves a shot at the title the most?