Ariel Helwani Banned from 1st Leg of Conor McGregor-Floyd Mayweather World Tour

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As Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor prepare to start the hype for their Aug. 26 showdown on Tuesday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, MMA journalist Ariel Helwani will not be part of the proceedings. 

Helwani tweeted out UFC requested he be removed from the pool of journalists to receive credentials for Tuesday's press conference:

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, 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.