Meet John Gotti III, the MMA's newest star and grandson of the infamous mobster
- John Gotti III, a rising star in the MMA, is the grandson of the infamous mob boss John Gotti.
- John Gotti reigned as head of the Gambino crime family for years before he was imprisoned in 1992 on 13 counts, including convictions of murder, gambling, and tax fraud charges, among others.
- But his grandson is not letting his family's past influence his success as a professional fighter.
- At 6'0 and 170 pounds, Gotti III is currently undefeated in the ring, with two knockouts against Eddie Haws and Johnny Adams.
Breaking into the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world is no easy feat, but there's an added challenge when your family has an infamous reputation and ties to the Mafia.
John Gotti III made his debut in October 2017 and has proven to be a real contender in the MMA world. He has started his career undefeated, with two knockouts against the fighters Eddie Haws and Johnny Adams.
As John III builds a name for himself, it's hard to ignore his family's history: His grandfather is none other than the mob boss John J. Gotti, the infamous "Dapper Don," who reigned as head of the Gambino crime family from the mid-1980s until his imprisonment in 1992.
Is John Gotti III riding on the fame of his grandfather, or is he actually a competitor to be wary of in the ring? Here's everything you should know about the MMA star.
He's unfazed by his grandfather's infamous past
John J. Gotti was not your average crime boss. According to The New York Times, Gotti "flaunted his power" as head of the Gambino crime family, making his presence known by often dining at lavish restaurants and hitting New York City hotspots surrounded by a posse of bodyguards.
After plotting the assassination of his rival and predecessor Paul Castellano in 1985, Gotti secured the head position as leader of the Gambino crime family until he was sent to federal prison in 1992, The New York Times reported.
Gotti was convicted of 13 charges that included murder, conspiracy, gambling, obstruction of justice, and tax fraud. He spent the last years of his life in prison before dying of cancer in 2002 at the age of 61.
But none of this fazes his grandson, John Gotti III.
In an interview with MMA Fighting, Gotti III said that he's accustomed to getting questions about his crime-boss grandfather.
"I'm adjusted to it by now," he told the site. "You get these same questions over and over, over the course of your whole life … I'm just kind of used to it at this point."
"At the same time, I'm just trying to take my own path, my own avenue in this sport and accomplish my own things through hard work and dedication," he continued. "But I'm proud of my name and my name is my name and I'm gonna represent it the best I could, win, lose or draw."
He already has an impressive record
Gotti III certainly is making a name for himself in the MMA ring.
Gotti stands at 6 feet and weighs 170 pounds, according to his fighter profile on Sherdog. He competes as a welterweight.
MMABUG@Longisland/YouTubeJohn Gotti vs Corey Callender in 2016.
He's currently undefeated at 2-0, with both wins resulting in knockouts against opponents Eddie Haws and Johnny Adams. According to MMA Fighting, his record as an amateur was 5-1.
He has a strict diet and workout regimen
As a professional fighter, Gotti III adheres to a diet and workout regimen that's designed to keep him in optimal shape for competition.
According to a profile in the The New York Post, he doesn't drink alcohol or smoke and has a "super clean" diet. He also has three personal trainers, who train him in boxing and kickboxing, techniques like submission and grappling, and strength and conditioning.
The Post wrote that Gotti's daily routine is usually structured with wrestling or jiu-jitsu in the morning, followed by strength and conditioning in the afternoon, and either yoga, stretching, or some form of recovery workout at night. One of his coaches, Derek Panza, told The Post that Gotti III has five percent body fat.
He has his family's full support
Despite their controversial past, the Gotti family has given Gotti III their full support.
Gotti III told MMA Fighting that while his father, John A. Gotti (also known as John Gotti, Jr.), was apprehensive at first when he made the decision to fully immerse himself in the MMA four years ago, Gotti Jr. is now just as invested as he is in the dream.
"I'm happy that he supports me 100 percent," Gotti III told MMA Fighting. "He's behind me. He's one of my biggest supporters. Without him, this would be a much harder journey."
"His career is now MMA," Gotti Jr. said in the interview. "Like I had said, it's hard for me to watch. But I'm enormously proud of him."
He keeps his circle small
In that same interview with MMA Fighting, John Jr. called his son a "gym rat" and said that he is devoted to his career as an MMA fighter.
"John is not very sociable," Gotti Jr. told the site. "He's devoted to the gym. My son does two-a-days. His circle of individuals around him is really, really very tight. So, therefore, he's not really exposed to a lot of those other elements."
STRMX2/Associated PressJohn Gotti III's father, John A. Gotti.
"That being said, he is blessed to have family that love and care about him, friends that watched him grow up that protect him," Gotti Jr. continued. "So we do try to screen the possibilities of certain individuals getting next to my son, absolutely."