Tyson Fury Discusses Links To Daniel Kinahan, Insists Relationship Is His Business

Ahead of his WBC heavyweight championship title defense this weekend at Wembley against Dillian Whyte, Tyson Fury has discussed his links to the recently sanctioned, reputed cartel boss, Daniel Kinahan – insisting that any relationship between the two is nobody else’s business.

Fury, a client of management firm, MTK Global – which was co-founded by Daniel Kinahan back in 2012, was pictured with the alleged Kinahan Organized Crime Group leader (KOCG) as recently as February during a visit to Dubai. 

Sanctions were imposed against Daniel Kinahan last week by the US Department of the Treasury

Kinahan, a native of Dublin, along with his father, Christopher Kinahan, and brother, Christopher Kinahan Jr. – were recently hit with sanctions by the United States Department of the Treasury, and the Office of Foreign Assets Control – with a bounty of up to $5,000,000 placed on each member, for information leading to the transitional crime organization’s financial disruption or the arrest and conviction of it’s leading members. Daniel Kinahan was previously named as the controller and manager of the Kinahan Organized Crime Group by the High Court.

Fielding questions on his links and relationship with Kinahan for the first time since the latter’s sanctioning, during a media day at an open workout, Fury, the reigning WBC heavyweight champion claimed that any relationship he had with Kinahan was his own business.

I’ve said this to quite a few people this week,” Tyson Fury told assembled media. “I don’t get involved in other people’s businesses and I keep mine to myself and that’s it. What other people do in their lives, I’ve got my own troubles and my own problems to work on myself with a wife and six kids. I keep my business to myself.”

Fury insisted that Kinahan was a fan of boxing, claimed that he was just a “stupid boxer” himself, and maintained that his business was strictly his own.

“The man has been a boxing fan,” Tyson Fury said. “There is not much more I can say. There is not much more of a relationship. There is none. That’s none of your business and none of anybody else’s business I think is it? My business is my business, your business is yours, and that’s it. It’s got nothing to do with me in boxing. I’m just a stupid boxer who gets punched in the face for a living. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here would I?” (Transcribed by RTÉ)

Last week, Top Rank promoter, Bob Arum confirmed that consultancy fees in the region of $4,000,000 had been paid to Daniel Kinahan following recent bouts contested by Fury. 

Following UFC Vegas 51 last Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada – UFC welterweight, Mounir Lazzez – also a client of MTK Global issued a shout out to Kinahan during his post-fight interview with UFC color commentator, Daniel Cormier. 

“I would like to thank my coaches, and my brother, Daniel Kinahan,” Mounir Lazzez said. “I would never be the man I am today, and to – my career to this point. Thanks a lot.”

During his post-fight media scrum, Lazzez insisted that he was unaware of sanctions imposed against Kinahan earlier that week, and refused to elaborate on further questioning, however, labelled Kinahan as a “friend” and “brother” of his. 

“That man is a friend and advisor,” Mounir Lazzez said of Daniel Kinahan. “He’s the one who picked me up every time life had kicked me down. He is a real man of his word. He’s the one who taught me what it means to be real family, a real friend. It’s someone I cannot thank enough for where I am today and who I am today… That’s why I said that, all the shout out and credit to him.”