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- After his fight, UFC Fighter Mounir Lazzez shouted out Daniel Kinahan, who was sanctioned by the US Government for his alleged ties to organized crime earlier this week.
- Lazzez was later grilled by a reporter over the shout out during the postfight press conference.
- Read more BroBible sports articles here
UFC fighter Mounir Lazzez thought it was a good idea to shout out an alleged mob boss on national television and wasn’t happy when a reporter asked him questions about it.
Earlier this week, Daniel Kinahan, who has multiple ties in the boxing and MMA world, was named by the US government as a key figure in the Irish-based drug trafficking network The Kinahan Organized Crime Group.
The US Treasury Department sanctioned Kinahan, forbidding anyone in the US from doing business with him, and placed a $5 million reward for any information leading to Kinahan’s arrest.
Yesterday, boxing adviser Daniel Kinahan was sanctioned by the US Treasury. Officials stated that Kinahan "is believed to run the day-to-day operations of the KOCG [Kinahan Organised Crime Group]."https://t.co/gGT2Kdklg7
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) April 13, 2022
After his fight on Saturday, Lazzez bizarrely thanked Kinahan live on ESPN, which raised some eyebrows among MMA fans.
I would love to thank my coaches and my brother Daniel Kinahan, without him I would never be the man who I am today…#UFCVegas51 pic.twitter.com/WwfqFuujv5
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) April 17, 2022
During his postfight press conference, Lazzez was grilled by reporter Alan Dawson, who kept a close eye on the Kinahan story for years.
Mounir Lazzez was asked about his #UFCVegas51 post-win shoutout of suspected Irish mob boss Daniel Kinahan, who was sanctioned by the U.S. government and had a $5 million bounty placed on his head this week.
Here's what he had to say: pic.twitter.com/Vsf0JTcrhX
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) April 17, 2022
“That man is a friend and advisor,” “He’s the one who picked me up every time life would kick me down. He’s a real man of his word and, you know, he’s the one who teached me what does it mean, real family, real friend. It’s someone I cannot thank him enough for where I am today and who I am today.
“He teached me the real manner, he teached me how to be responsible in my family and my friends and my close ones. That’s why I said that. All the shoutout and credit to him.”
Lazzez denied that he knew that the serious allegations made by the US government against Kinahan.
“No, I don’t know that,” “I think I’m here to entertain people and I say I give the credit to whoever deserves credit. I’m not involved in this kind of stuff and I don’t know about it and I will investigate how it is and how to go.”
Eventually, Lazzez’s team began shouting at the reporter, and Lazzez refused to answer questions related to Kinahan.
Mounir Lazzez is now addressing the media.
I asked 3-4 questions all regarding Daniel Kinahan and why he name-dropped an alleged cocaine baron and reported figurehead of a criminal organization in his post-fight victory speech.
His team at the back were shouting to move on. https://t.co/9zLowFQrgd
— Alan Dawson🏜️ (@AlanDawsonSport) April 17, 2022