Just a week after the US government placed a $5 million bounty on Daniel Kinahan’s head, for information that would lead to his arrest or disruption of the group, MTK Global has folded. In a statement just the other day, Kinahan gave news that he would be folding the company amidst pressure by the US government and other corporations to focus on his boxing career and move away from the links between him and his shadier past.
With a huge fight coming up shortly between Dillian Whyte and Tyson Fury, not to mention the vast guaranteed purse which will net both in excess of £5 million, the overshadowing of Fury’s build-up with his noted connections to Daniel Joseph Kinahan and MTK Global itself were doing him no favours. Tyson Fury is by far the favourite for the bout, with most betting companies offering weak returns and much more sizeable prizes for those brave enough to bet on the Brit (Whyte). But just what does this mean for Kinahan’s boxing career, when many of the leading boxing promoters and indeed boxers themselves are separating themselves from the overshadowed boxer under the pressure of the recent sanctions?
Firstly, don’t expect to see any new bouts with Kinahan in them in the short-term, as likelihood will be that while all eyes are on him, he will look to stay in a country with a zero extradition policy to ensure the US can’t get their hands on him. For the long-term, he has been open about trying to separate himself from his darker past and, who knows, maybe he may be able to do that. However, there is just as much chance of someone turning state information that puts the bounty on his head to good use, after all – $5 million isn’t a small chunk of change.
In the meantime, let’s take a look at some of the shadier parts of his history and, more importantly, how it has affected those around him:
- Fury was forced to deny connections to MTK Global and the crime syndicate as early as 2017, yet even his upcoming fight has been plagued with rumours just from his association with Daniel Kinahan.
- Fight promoter Macklin, who opened up the MGM gyms in both Glasgow and Marbella, was targeted quickly by the MGM casino, one of the many huge online casinos that have recently pushed into the United States, forcing him to change his brand to MTK (Mack the Knife). While this was a while back, the gyms suffered a reputational hit, made worse by their connection with Kinahan himself.
- In more recent events, Mounir Lazzez, the UFC fighter, shouted out Kinahan at his recent UFC fight and has been embroiled in controversy with questions as to why he would do this ever since. With no significant repercussions as of yet, he may emerge unscathed – but there is an equal chance that many boxers and promoters will shade him for trying to stay connected to a person of interest to the US.