- The CEO of an emerging sports firm says he wants to "clean up" boxing's image in his region.
- Dubai has been "tarnished" because of its past association with alleged gangster Daniel Kinahan.
LAS VEGAS — A start-up combat sports entertainment firm says it wants to revive boxing in Dubai after an alleged mob boss "tarnished" the sport there.
Insider has previously reported how the reputed narcoterrorist Daniel Kinahan had parts of boxing at his mercy prior to sanctions from the US Treasury in April.
Kinahan is the figurehead of the $1.1 billion Kinahan Organized Crime Group which, according to a high court ruling in Ireland, specializes in execution-style murders, as per Insider reporting.
The US Treasury said earlier this year that Kinahan is responsible for sourcing "large quantities of cocaine" from South America, through the Middle East where he lived, and into Ireland where he is from.
The boxing manager Kinahan, an advisor to prominent fighters including Tyson Fury, struck fear in some of those who dealt with him either directly or indirectly.
"I'm not scared of a lot of people … but I'm scared of those people," one source with knowledge of Kinahan's apparent dealings told Insider in 2020.
Boxing events in Dubai continue in a post-sanctions era, and the boss of an emerging company called Global Titans told Insider this week he "absolutely" wants to help clean up the region's image.
Uday Singh, the CEO of Global Titans, is holding a marquee exhibition in Dubai's landmark Coca-Cola Arena that pits iconic Hall-of-Fame boxer Floyd Mayweather against YouTube creator Deji.
'We have to clean up the tarnished image of Dubai boxing and start afresh'
Regarding Kinahan's prior impact on boxing in Dubai, Singh told us this week from the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas: "We kept that in mind and said we have to clean up the tarnished image of Dubai boxing and start afresh."
Kinahan has "not at all" had any involvement in Global Titans, this event, or any of the matches on the November 13 card, Singh told Insider.
He said Global Titans is "a global venture, but I'm glad to say it's a Dubai company."
Singh added: "It's a great region. It's very safe with a great economy and state-of-the-art facilities."
Global Titans has 4 events lined up in 2023, according to Singh
Global Titans is in its first year of operations, Singh told Insider, yet has already lured one of the most famous living fighters, Mayweather, into its event next month.
As Insider previously reported, Mayweather could receive up to $30 million per appearance atop a Global Titans event, and Singh told us they plan to make this a routine happening in the future.
Global Titans already has four events lined up in 2023, he said: "Next year, we have four major fights lined up in Lagos, Tokyo, the United States, and London."
The US event, Singh said, could even be a legitimate fight for Mayweather as Singh said the 45-year-old could put his unbeaten record on the line in a bout against Manny Pacquiao or Conor McGregor.
The Mayweather-Deji exhibition takes place November 13 in Dubai and airs on DAZN pay-per-view.