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Boxing and MMA management company MTK Global has announced that they will cease operations by the end of the month.
The organization represents some of the biggest names in combat sports, including the likes of Darren Till, Tyson Fury and more. However, the company's founder, Daniel Kinahan, was recently sanctioned by the U.S. government. He was identified as the head of the Irish Kinahan crime gang. The U.S. government has announced a significant reward for any information on Kinahan.
The company released a statement during Tyson Fury's press conference ahead of his fight against Dillian Whyte, announcing its decision to discontinue. The statement reads:
"MTK Global to cease operations. As a business we have faced unprecedented levels of unfair scrutiny and criticism since the sanctioning by the US Government of Daniel Joseph Kinahan. It is a matter of public record that Mr Kinahan's involvement in MTK ceased in 2017, and despite repeated reassurances in this regard, unfounded allegations about his ongoing association with us and our fighters persist. Since leading promoters have now informed us that they will be severing all ties with MTK and will no longer work with our fighters, we have taken the difficult decision to cease operations at the end of this month. MTK prospered because we always put the long term interests of our fighters at the heart of what we do. Our priority in the weeks ahead will be to ensure that our world class boxers are supported to find new partnerships as swiftly as possible. MTK gyms are operated independently so will remain open for the foreseeable future. Further announcements will be made in due course. Thank you to all the fans who have supported us over the last decade."
The statement suggests that rather than direct sanctions, the company has been left with no choice but to cease operations after multiple promoters cut ties, leaving MTK Global-represented fighters at a crossroads.
The fighters represented by MTK Global
There are some household names in the sport of boxing and MMA that the organization used to represent, the most famous of which is WBC and The Ring Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury.
UFC fighters like light heavyweight Aleksandar Rakic, middleweight Darren Till, women's flyweight contender Taila Santos, and more are also represented by the company.
MTK Global has promised to find a new home for their fighters as swiftly as possible. With that in mind, fans will keep a close eye on how the situation unfolds over the coming weeks.
According to reports, the issue will not affect MMA fighters. According to MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz, the "promoters" cutting ties with the organization are solely from the boxing side.
"I’m told this decision doesn’t affect the MMA side of MTK, which manages fighters like Darren Till, since it’s an independent company (different registration, staff, etc). The “leading promoters” that "will be severing all ties with MTK" are from the boxing world, not MMA."
