Ex-UFC Fighter and Kinahan ‘Friend’ Mounir Lazzez Linked to Iran Sanctions

Ex-UFC fighter Mounir Lazzez was photographed meeting with wanted Irish crime bosses Daniel and Christy Kinahan during his 971 Fighting Championship event in Dubai last June, marking their most recent public sighting since the US placed multi-million dollar bounties on their heads in 2022. Documents uncovered by Bellingcat reveal Lazzez was director of two companies that paid more than $80 million for oil tankers in 2023, both of which were later sanctioned by the US government for assisting the Iranian regime. Lazzez has publicly described Daniel Kinahan as a "good friend, brother and advisor" and was previously represented by Kinahan's now-defunct MTK Global management company. The Tunisian-born fighter has since relocated from Dubai to Italy with his family, where he now operates personal training gyms. Lazzez did not respond to multiple contact attempts from investigators seeking comment on his business connections.