It’s a sad day for ESPN as popular MMA analyst Ariel Helwani is leaving ESPN MMA after a long tenure. He uploaded a tweet on his Twitter, announcing the sad news.

ESPN confirmed the news in a statement as well. ESPN’s statement was given to OutKick, and they explained that they didn’t want him to leave.

“We thank Ariel for his many contributions to ESPN’s MMA coverage and beyond. We had hoped to have him continue in that role and made him an offer to remain with ESPN,” the network said in a statement.

“He chose to explore new opportunities, and we wish him the best.”

Meanwhile, Helwani’s tweet was a simple statement revealing that June 15th would be his last day at ESPN. He also added that he had some exciting news to share about his future.

However, he did say that it was his most certainly his decision to leave the organization. Helwani linked an Instagram video from his Instagram page too.

OutKick also reported that Helwani has spoken to Meadowlark Media and Showtime, but those are the only known organizations as of now.

Helwani’s destination is not yet confirmed, and he will reveal it all in due time. Meanwhile, the Instagram video that he linked was a 10-minute video of him talking about his time at ESPN.

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Ariel Helwani talks about his time at ESPN and calls it a dream come true

In this very emotional segment, Helwani talked about his journey from Syracuse university to ESPN and mentioned how he got all the opportunities in his career because of ESPN.

He thanked ESPN for letting him meet so many legends and interview basketball legends like Chris Paul, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jaylen Brown.

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He also showed his love for the DC and Helwani show and the Ariel and the Bad Guy show. He co-hosted both of them with UFC legends Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier. Helwani corroborated the story of ESPN giving him a new contract but revealed that he found a new opportunity for himself.

It will be very tough for ESPN to find a suitable replacement for Helwani, and his shows will be a huge loss for ESPN MMA.

However, he was a great asset for ESPN, and any new organization would expect the same level of professionalism and dedication from him.

Where do you think Ariel Helwani will go?

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