Ariel Helwani releases statement after Daniel Dubois walks out of 'weirdest interview'

Ariel Helwani has issued a statement after Daniel Dubois left an interview early on his podcast.

Dubois appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show to preview his WBO heavyweight title fight against Fabio Wardley on Saturday.

The bout will take place at the Co-op Arena in Manchester, and marks an all-British elite heavyweight fight that is rarely seen in modern boxing.

There is, therefore, plenty of interest among fans - but Dubois' interview with Helwani went viral for all the wrong reasons on Tuesday night.

"I feel you don't like me very much, Daniel," Helwani said. "That's my feeling."

"Really? Why do you feel like that then?" Dubois replied.

"Well, I feel like you don't like me. It's a vibe that I'm getting," came Helwani's response.

"I was watching you against Joe Joyce, and I said it's bulls**t with the way they're treating you, the British media, the British public. I had your back. I was taking bullets for you here."

"That's bulls**t," Dubois said. "I don't know why you're even bringing that up."

"I'm trying to tell you why... I'm one of your supporters. I was on the frontline on your behalf," Helwani said.

"Thanks. Thank you, man." Dubois responded.

"I appreciate that. Thank you for the thanks," Helwani replied, before enquiring about whether Dubois had to leave the interview at that point.

"Yeah, that's the end of it," Dubois said, before a slightly awkward exchange between the pair took place as the former heavyweight champion began to get out of his chair.

"What are you trying to say, man? This is getting awkward right now," he added.

"I can't tell," Helwani laughed, before Dubois appeared to mouth 'turn this s**t off' in the background and left the interview.

"I think he's out. Bye guys. What the hell was that? That was one of the all-time weirdest interviews of my career," Helwani told his viewers.

The MMA journalist has now released a statement on the matter, clarifying that there was a mix-up between himself and Dubois' team.

"I've interviewed Daniel Dubois before and have always enjoyed it," he wrote on Twitter.

"This one was on me. I should have and could have done a much better job.

"Much love and respect to DDD, always. Looking forward to the fight this weekend."