Ariel Helwani Removed from Showtime's Conor McGregor-Floyd Mayweather Coverage

As Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor start the hype for their Aug. 26 showdown, MMA journalist Ariel Helwani will not be covering the proceedings for Showtime.

Helwani tweeted out that the UFC requested he be removed, saying he was "incredibly disappointed" and pointed the blame at UFC President Dana White:

However, Helwani did note he's still a credentialed member for the tour, despite the fact that he won't be working Showtime's broadcast:

The relationship between Helwani and UFC President Dana White has been well-documented, with White trying to limit Helwani's ability to cover mixed martial arts for MMAFighting. 

At UFC 199 on June 4, 2016, Helwani tweeted he was escorted out of the Forum arena in Inglewood, California, prior to the main event between Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold. 

Per TMZ Sports, White banned Helwani from covering UFC events due to being angry Helwani reported Brock Lesnar's return to mixed martial arts at UFC 200 and the contract for McGregor and Nate Diaz's second fight was done. 

Two days later, the UFC lifted Helwani's lifetime ban and allowed him to once again cover the sport. 

Helwani is one of the most prominent journalists in mixed martial arts. He has covered the sport since 2006 and will often have post-fight interviews with many of the biggest stars after an event has concluded.