Pro debut comes on what would have been John Gotti Sr.’s 77th birthday…

John Gotti III’s professional MMA debut is scheduled to coincide with what would have been his grandfather, “the Dapper Don” John Gotti Sr.’s, 77th birthday. Gotti Sr. died in 2002.

24-year-old John Gotti III has spent the last 3 years active on the New York amateur circuit. During that time he’s racked up a 5-1 record, including 4 straight victories.

5-1 Amateur Record

Nick Panebianco faced John Gotti III in an amateur bout back in 2015. Here’s what he had to say about the experience.

“The guy was a warrior, man,” recalled Panebianco. “Stone-cold face coming in, looking to do his business. He was a man with a mission. He never backed down or backed away.”

Following his bout with Panebianco, Gotti III rolled off 3 more victories in a row. Earlier this year, Gotti III defeated Anthony Wolter at a Triton Fights show to win the promotion’s welterweight championship.

Fighting on His Grandfather’s Birthday

The fight will take place on what would have been Gotti Sr.’s 77th birthday. In comments relayed to the New York Post, Junior Gotti (John Gotti III’s father), had this to say about his son’s upcoming pro debut.

“has to stay focused on his training . . . God willing, things will go well.”

Jimmy Burchfield Sr. is the man responsible for promoting the upcoming bout. The fight takes place this Friday, October 27th at the Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island. 7-fight UFC veteran, John “Doomsday” Howard headlines the card against 31-fight veteran Roger “the Leprechaun” Carroll.

“This kid is real. I believe you are looking at something very special here,” said the match’s promoter, Jimmy Burchfield Sr. “He’s built like Superman. You can see the agility and speed that he has. He’s equally talented standing up as on the mat. He’s got a very low-key personality.

While his opponent, Johnny “the Wild Child” Adams, may have only 1 professional fight on his pro record, he has fought frequently on the amateur circuit these last 2 years and won 4 straight before going pro.

Adams lost his pro debut to Ian “Diablo” Beatease (New York has some of the best fighter nicknames) back in March. A rematch between the two fighters has already been scheduled for November 11th, however. The bout is only 15 days after his scheduled fight with Gotti III. While that might seem unusual, one look at Adams’ amateur record confirms he likes to keep active in the cage.

Comments From Boxing Coach

The New York Post spoke to members of Gotti III’s camp recently to gain insight into the fighter’s regimen. Boxing coach, Derek Panza, had this to say about the welterweight’s routine.

“His daily routine consists of wrestling and jiujitsu in the morning, strength and conditioning in the afternoon, and “in the evening either a yoga class or extra stretching and recovery workout,” Panza said.

In regards to the fighter’s condition, Panza continued to say.

“He’s right on target. He’s at 5 percent body fat,”

Panza continued to describe Gotti III as:

“quiet and to himself. A typical fighter. A bit of a loner,”

(and as having a) “ferocity and passion for the actual art of combat.”

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Ian is a MMA writer based out of Toronto, ON Canada. An avid mixed martial arts enthusiast and passionate fan since he was born, Ian has been writing about mixed martial arts for over 5 years.