Irish Gov't Reportedly Communicates With UAE Over Gang Boss Involvement in Fury-Joshua Boxing Match

Irish authorities moved to contact the United Arab Emirates over the involvement of an alleged crime boss in an upcoming heavyweight boxing match, The Guardian reports.

According to the newspaper, prime minister Leo Varadkar notified the Irish parliament about the department of foreign affairs communicating with UAE officials, after British professional boxer Tyson Fury made an Instagram post praising one Daniel Kinahan for helping get the bout between Fury and Anthony Joshua "over the line".

"The authorities in the UAE know the situation, and they know our concerns, and our problems with it," Varadkar said.

The aforementioned Kinahan was reportedly described in a 2018 high court ruling as the person in control of the Kinahan crime gang which has a reputation in Ireland for weapon and drug trafficking, and is also known for "involvement in a feud with rivals that has claimed dozens of lives".

Having relocated to Dubai, Kinahan, who "is not believed to have any criminal convictions", went on to establish the MTK Global boxing group and even became an adviser to the Prince of Bahrain’s sports organisation KHK, the newspaper adds.

The prime minister argued that if Kinahan is involved in the upcoming boxing match, broadcasters should refrain from airing the contest.

"I think it would be entirely appropriate for sporting organisations and media organisations to have nothing to do with this," Varadkar said during a a post-cabinet briefing in Dublin.