John Gotti III has an infamous surname but he wants to be remembered for his ring exploits.
Gotti, an MMA fighter and boxer, competes against Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition bout at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City on August 24. It is a rematch from their fight last year and will air on DAZN PPV.
Making waves in the combat sports world, Gotti has kept his head down and has used his skills to get people to notice him. It wasn’t hard to be noticed before that, as he carries a notorious name. John is the grandson of former gangster John Gotti and the son of John A. "Junior" Gotti.
Despite the family history, his career path is far different than anything his family has been involved in before.
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"There's no getting around it. Throughout my career, the name is always going to be attached to me," Gotti told Bleacher Report when he first started in combat sports. "My father and my grandfather, they're a part of me. But this is a different avenue that I'm taking. Nobody in my family ever pursued sports to this degree or became a professional athlete. They never went down that road, so this is a whole different road I'm going down.
"It's not like my name is Frank, like my brother. I share the name 'John Gotti.' I want to put it in a positive spotlight and show people that I'm a hard-working kid and I'm dedicated to this game.”
Here is a brief history of John Gotti III and his notorious grandfather.
Who is John Gotti III?
Interested in combat sports, Gotti turned pro in MMA in 2017. Gotti won five in a row to start his MMA career. Fighting out of Long Island, he lost his last fight to Nick Alley in 2020.
Gotti has since competed in boxing bouts, winning two contests. Against Mayweather in 2023, the referee got involved and called the fight early, in what some, including Gotti, would call controversial. Gotti went after the referee and Mayweather, with both entourages getting involved.
Gotti, 31, has looked to carve out a path outside of his family. However, the “Gotti” name still means something to him.
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“My name is my name, but, slowly but surely, even now, I’m starting to pave my own way, so to speak. I’m not looking to run from it. I embrace it,” Gotti told the UFC. “I fight for my name and the legacy of my name, so I’m just trying to be positive for myself and the future generations of my family.”
Who is John Gotti, the gangster?
The grandfather of John Gotti III, Gotti Jr. was one of the 20th century's most notorious gangsters. Born in the Bronx, he was the boss of the New York-based Gambino crime family, one of the most powerful groups in American Mafia history.
At age 12, Gotti was involved in gangs and even associated himself with the Fulton-Rockaway Boys, an affiliate of the mafia. Associated with the Gambino family, by 1977, he was a "made man" and moved up to captain, eventually becoming boss. Earning the name "Teflon Don” by the media, Gotti beat multiple charges much to the chagrin of the police.
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Eventually, he was charged in 1992 with racketeering, murder, illegal gambling, loan sharking, bribery, obstruction of justice, and tax evasion. That was a result of the FBI having underboss Sammy Gravano testify against him. Per History, the Gotti-led Gambino family made over $500 million from illegal activities.
In 1998 Gotti was diagnosed with throat cancer and died in 2002 at 61.