On Tuesday, MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani claimed the UFC had pulled him from the first press conference of a multi-city media tour for a blockbuster bout between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor.
The reporter didn't find out his credentials had been revoked until he'd flown from New York to Los Angeles, where the tour is scheduled to kick off Tuesday afternoon. Helwani claims he's been approved for both the Brooklyn and Toronto legs of the four-day tour.
Mayweather Promotions has been handling the distribution of press passes for the tour, but while the UFC has taken a back seat in hyping the event, Helwani alleges the WME-IMG-led outfit is responsible for his removal from Tuesday's presser.
The reporter has found himself in the UFC's crosshairs before. While covering UFC 199 last June, Helwani was removed from the event and subsequently banned by the promotion for reporting Brock Lesnar's July return to the Octagon before the UFC could formally announce it. The UFC lifted the ban just a few days after the event.
The Mayweather vs. McGregor media tour begins at Los Angeles' Staples Center, with stops in Toronto and Brooklyn before a final presser at London's Wembley Stadium.
