Sanctioned Kinahan gangster Ian Dixon was listed as manager of Dubai firm Probellum MMA Sports

Dixon (32) was described as Daniel Kinahan’s banker, managing his money, payments and chasing debtors, by US authorities who sanctioned both him and his company Hoopoe Sports.

He was registered as ‘responsible manager’ by Probellum MMA Sports in 2019 when they first filed documents in the UAE but was later replaced with Khalid Abdulrahman Mohammad Aljassmi who remains in the role.

Aljassmi is also licence manager for the sanctioned Ducashew Consultancy, mob boss Daniel Kinahan’s mother company in the Emirates, and for MTK Global Sports Management.

In a statement to the Sunday World, a spokesman for Probellum denied they had anything to do with Probellum MMA Sports or Ian Dixon.

Probellum - who insist they are separate to Probellum MMA Sports - has become one of the biggest boxing promotion firms in the world over the last few months,.

The company has been bullishly denying any links with Daniel Kinahan or the now folded MTK Global which he founded in Spain in 2012.

A Probellum spokesman said: “The suggestion that Ian Dixon has any connection whatsoever with the management or ownership of Probellum is categorically untrue. This is easily established with simple fact checking.

“Probellum was launched in September 2021 and our business is only registered in the British Virgin Islands and Delaware, USA. It has no past or present, direct or indirect business relationship with any other “probellum” entity that may have any links to Ian Dixon.”

“Probellum has instructed its lawyers to take legal action against this, or any other, defamatory or inaccurate reporting that is being used to smear the business’ name.”

Probellum President Richard Schaefer has said the company have no direct association with Kinahan who co-founded MTK Global.

Despite his insistence, Eurosport shelved their fight night deal with the company in the wake of US sanctions against the mob and it’s associated companies.

“Kinahan has advised some of the fighters who are promoted by Probellum just like he has worked with many other fighters who are promoted by leading promoters around the world,” said Shaefer.

“Given these recent developments…..each fighter is going to have to take a decision if he or she wants to continue to be advised by Mr Kinahan.

"I am certainly going to respect that decision but that fighter, irrespective of who is is or who she is, will have to respect our decision as well, which would mean that we would no longer be able to work with them.

"That is very clear. If a fighter has a business relationship with Daniel Kinahan, we will not promote him.”

Probellum MMA Sports can now be directly linked to Kinahan, thanks to the work of on-line detective, using the Twitter handle @arejaywoof, who publishes his findings on his popular site.

He has been trawling through documents linking Kinahan and others through registered companies and shared management roles.

The complex web linking Dixon to Probellum MMA Sports, Probellum MMA Sports to MTK and MTK to Ducashew has now been uncovered by on-line sleuth @arejaywoof through publicly available documents in the UAE.

He first uncovered Dixon’s name on documents supplied by Probellum MMA Sports to the Ministry of Economy last year but only made the link since the Dubliner was named during announcements of US Sanctions against the Kinahan group.

Dixon is a relative of Daniel and Christy Jnr and has been one of their closest associates since the 00s.

He previously worked in the Auld Dubliner bar in Malaga, a known hangout for members of the Kinahan gang. He was also arrested by Spanish police investigating the Hutch-Kinahan feud but never faced any charges.

During the sanction announcements he was described as: "Ian Thomas Dixon who is also based in Dubai, was designated for materially assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Daniel Kinahan.

“Ian Dixon has arranged multiple payments on behalf of Daniel Kinahan, as well as moved bulk currency on behalf of Daniel Kinahan in Ireland and the United Kingdom,” the US authorities say.

“Ian Dixon also oversees a fund on behalf of Daniel Kinahan and keeps track of money owed by a narcotics trafficker.

Arejaywoof’s findings also include and exploration into Ducashew which he found have three listings in Dubai.

Ducashew Consultancy, sanctioned, is no longer available but two other companies of that name list Sandra Vaughan as the licenced manager.

Aljassmi was announced as a global brand ambassador for MTK in 2018 while Vaughan had taken over as CEO having announced she bought the company from Kinahan and his pal Matthew Macklin.

According to announcements at the time Aljassmi, pictured in the traditional white Emirati robe, he enjoyed a glittering 30 year career with Dubai police before moving into the boxing business.

Note: The article has been updated to reflect a statement from Probellum. The original version of the article stated that Ian Dixon had been listed as a manager of Probellum when he was actually manager of Probellum MMA.