MMA reporter Ariel Helwani's ban from the UFC has been overturned.
The 33-year-old is widely regarded as the sport's leading journalist and was removed from a UFC event at the weekend. He was told he was "banned for life".
Helwani broke the news that former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar was to return in a one-off fight at UFC 200. The news was confirmed hours later on Saturday night by the UFC.
After widespread support for Helwani and his colleagues Esther Lin and Casey Leydon from fans and the journalistic community, the UFC quickly relented and reinstated all three journalists.
"Following a conversation with the editorial team at SB Nation, UFC will not prevent MMAFighting.com from receiving media credentials to cover live UFC events. We respect the role the media plays in our sport and beyond, including MMAFighting’s ability to report news."
Despite reinstating Helwani, the UFC still seem to have issues with the Canadian journalist and his methods "In our opinion, we believe the recurring tactics used by its lead reporter extended beyond the purpose of journalism. We feel confident our position has now been adequately communicated to the SB Nation editorial team."
During The MMA Hour, on Monday afternoon, Helwani spoke about his relationship with the UFC and how he broke the Lesnar story. It's worth noting that the show was recorded before the news of Helwani's reinstatement was confirmed.
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