When Ariel Helwani received a hilarious threat for reporting fourth Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson cancellation on April Fool's Day

Ariel Helwani once received a lighthearted threat after reporting the fourth cancellation of the highly anticipated Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson fight on April Fool's Day.

Between 2015 and 2020, Nurmagomedov and Ferguson came agonizingly close to what could have been an iconic showdown, only for unforeseen circumstances to repeatedly prevent it from happening. With an unprecedented five cancellations, their rivalry remains one of MMA’s biggest "what-if" moments.

At UFC 223 in April 2018, the highly anticipated matchup was scheduled for the fourth time, but just a week before the fight, 'El Cucuy' suffered a knee ligament tear while fulfilling media obligations, causing yet another cancellation. Helwani was one of the first to break the news on social media. He posted on Twitter (now X):

"Tony Ferguson is out of UFC 223, sources say. He suffered an injury days ago. The frontrunner to replace Ferguson vs. Khabib is Max Holloway. Not finalized yet but close. This is not an April Fool’s joke. I would never do that. This is 100% real. Ferguson-Nurmagomedov is off again."

Check out Ariel Helwani's posts below:

Ariel Helwani on X.

However, with the update coming on April Fool’s Day, many, including former UFC middleweight fighter Tim Kennedy, seemingly believed that Helwani was toying with fans' emotions. In response, Kennedy jokingly threatened the Canadian combat sports journalist:

"If this is a joke. I will find you... and do really weird things to you. [Didn’t want to threaten you straight out]."

Check out Tim Kennedy's post below:

The closest Nurmagomedov and Ferguson came to settling their long-awaited showdown was at UFC 249 in April 2020, but that fight ultimately fell through as well. The matchup was scrapped after 'The Eagle' cited COVID-19-related travel restrictions as the reason he was unable to fly from Russia to the United States.

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When The Schmo questioned Ariel Helwani’s integrity

Ariel Helwani and his counterpart Dave Schmulenson, better known as The Schmo, were at the center of one of the most talked-about rivalries in the MMA journalism world, having exchanged fiery words over time.

In April 2023, Schmulenson took to X to accuse Helwani of dishonesty, claiming that the reporter had provided him with a fake email address when he sought guidance. The Schmo also distanced himself from the off-color remark made by Sean Strickland about Helwani’s appearance during their interview, a comment that triggered a fierce response from the Canadian journalist.

Check out The Schmo's post below: